This image, taken Aug. 7, 2015, shows a large algal bloom in the Baltic Sea.

(ESA Photo)

Swirling in the middle of the Baltic Sea, it may resemble a hurricane, but the beauty of an algal bloom has a toxic side as well.

The image above was captured by the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2A satellite on Aug. 7 as it passed over the Baltic Sea. It shows a massive algal bloom glowing green in the water as a ship passes through. The boat leaves behind a black trail as it disturbs the perfect swirl of algae.

The algal bloom has grown larger this summer , ESA said. The blooms can be hazardous to the ecosystem, posing a deadly threat to sea creatures. Scientists study areas affected by algal blooms to monitor impacts on wildlife, as the toxins can be different for various species, or even within a single species, ESA added.

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Animals that survive a toxic algal bloom become tainted themselves, which can be dangerous , NBC News said.

Toxic algal blooms have been a recent problem in the United States as well. Unusually warm Pacific Ocean waters near the West Coast that may be the biggest ever recorded in that area. It had devastating effects on wildlife in the sea, and shutting down crab fishing along half of the Washington coast as contamination fears rose.

Last summer, a large algal bloom made its way into the drinking water taken from Lake Erie, and the city of Toledo, Ohio, .

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Algae Invasion in China

Qingdao, China

This picture taken on July 22, 2015 shows a youth walking through algae at a beach in Qingdao, in eastern China's Shandong province. The algal phenomenon, an annual occurrence in Qingdao, is usually caused by an abundance of nutrients in the water, especially phosphorus, although the triggers for the enormous blooms which began to appear in the Yellow Sea in 2007 remain uncertain. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)