The blob is a term used to refer to a large mass of algae that was first spotted floating in the Chukchi Sea between the Alaskan cities of Wainwright and Barrow in July 2009. A notable feature of the mass is its length of at least 12 miles (19 km). The fact that the algae is colored black is considered to be unusual. Early examiners of the algae were unable to determine its species
