This magnificent natural phenomenon is called "bioluminescence". It exists in many places around the world near the sea or ocean, and manifests itself in different ways. Sometimes it seems that small stars are twinkling under the water, other times you are amazed by the special northern lights spread out over the water surface. This spectacle is best enjoyed in March, August and September.
A little history
For centuries, the glow of the seas and oceans remained a mystery. According to one version, scientists explained it by the presence of phosphorus in water and electrical discharges that arise from the friction of salt and water molecules. According to another version, the ocean thus gives back to the Sun at night the energy it accumulated during the day. The real solution was found in 1753 - then the naturalist Becker looked at drops of sea water through a magnifying glass. His magnifying glass spotted tiny, single-celled organisms, the diameter of which was about 2 mm. Interestingly, they reacted to any mechanical or chemical irritation with flashes of light. These “aquatic fireflies” were called nocturnals. Now the fact that it is phytoplankton that is responsible for the “illumination” of the night sea or ocean during the period of its mass reproduction is already undeniable.
The sparkling squid Watasenia scintillans lives here. At the beginning of spring, their breeding season begins every year, and then thousands of fry rise to the water surface in search of a partner (or better yet, several). The bright blue light helps squids attract their mates for mating, and gives tourists an unforgettable and truly fabulous spectacle.
Amazing glows have also been recorded on the Vaadhoo Islands. Thanks to bioluminescent dinoflagellates, it seems that the local coastline is completely drowned in the starry sky.
Waterglows don't happen every year in San Diego. To be honest, scientists still don’t know how to predict when they will happen. But if this event does occur, it’s as if with the wave of a magic wand some invisible wizard paints the surface of the sea with blue phosphorus paints. If you are lucky enough to visit the local beaches, be sure to visit them at night. Who knows, maybe you will be lucky enough to plunge into a fairy tale for a moment?
Once upon a time, strange “blue tears” were noticed on the local waters, which caused a great stir around Matsu. Scientists from the National Taiwan Ocean University conducted four months of research, taking water samples daily. As a result, they found the culprit of the mysterious glow - it was the aforementioned “night light”. Research is still ongoing to find other organisms that contribute to the blue ocean waters.
The warm summer months are especially popular in Navarre Beach. Still would! After all, tourists are offered a very unconventional entertainment - a night kayaking adventure, and we think you've already guessed what makes it special?
Glowing plankton is an amazing sight. This microscopic organism is capable of transforming an entire sea into a shining starry sky, transporting the observer to a fantastic world of magic.
Plankton is a general name for many diverse organisms that primarily live in well-lit layers of water. They are not able to resist the force of the current, so often groups of them are carried to the shores.
Any (including luminous) plankton is food for the remaining, larger inhabitants of the reservoir. It is a mass of algae and animals that are very small in size, with the exception of jellyfish and ctenophores. Many of them move independently, so during periods of calm, plankton can move away from the shore and cruise around the reservoir.
As mentioned above, the upper layers of the sea or ocean are richest in plankton, but certain species (for example, bacteria and zooplankton) inhabit the water column to the maximum depths possible for life.
Not all species have the ability to bioluminescence. In particular, large jellyfish and diatoms are deprived of it.
Luminescent plankton is mainly represented by single-celled plants - dinoflagellates. By the end of summer, their numbers reach their peak in warm weather conditions, so during this period you can observe especially intense illumination off the sea coast.
If the water shines with separate green flashes, then you can be sure that these are planktonic crustaceans. In addition to them, ctenophores are prone to bioluminescence. Their light is dimmer and spreads across the body with azure tints when colliding with an obstacle.
Sometimes a rather rare phenomenon occurs when luminous plankton in the Black Sea shines for a long time without interruption. At such moments, dinophyte algae bloom, and the density of their cells per liter of liquid is so high that individual flashes merge into a bright and constant illumination of the surface.
Plankton emit light through chemical processes called bioluminescence. Upon thorough study, it was revealed that this is nothing more than in response to irritation.
At times it may seem that the action occurs spontaneously, but this is not true. Even the movement of water itself serves as an irritant; the force of friction has a mechanical effect on the animal. It causes an electrical impulse to rush towards the cell, as a result of which a vacuole filled with elementary particles generates energy, followed by a chemical reaction that results in a surface glow of the body. With additional exposure, bioluminescence increases.
In simpler terms, we can say that luminous plankton will shine even brighter when colliding with any obstacle or other irritant. For example, if you put your hand into the very cluster of organisms or throw a small stone into its center, the result will be a very bright flash that can momentarily blind the observer.
Overall, this is a very beautiful sight, because when objects fall into water filled with plankton, blue or green neon circles radiate from the point of impact. Watching this effect is very relaxing, but you should not overuse throws into the water.
Glowing plankton is found in the Maldives and Crimea (Black Sea). It can also be seen in Thailand, but, judging by the reviews, not often. Many tourists complained that they even visited paid beaches for this spectacle, but were often left with nothing.
If you have scuba diving equipment, it is very cool to observe plankton at depth. It is comparable to being under a falling star and is literally breathtaking. However, this should only be done with a small concentration of organisms. This is due to the release of poisonous toxins by some types of plankton that are dangerous to human health.
Therefore, it is still safer to observe the glow from the shore. It is especially not recommended to let children into the water at such moments, since a dose of toxins that would be trifling for adults can cause intoxication in a growing organism.
The Black Sea is a body of contrasts, stories and legends. Like any huge water resource, it has hundreds of secrets. The Black Sea at the junction with the Azov Sea is especially interesting - there you can appreciate the beauty of their differences and scale. If the Azov Sea is more like a huge lake with shallow depth, then the Black Sea is a real abyss. An ominous, beautiful and breathtaking abyss.
Paleontologists believe that in the Black Sea region, since the formation of the Earth, there have been salty bodies of water: the Pontic and then the Meotic seas. In other periods, the area dried up, and fresh springs and lakes formed here. The sea acquired its modern boundaries, depth and type of water a little more than 8,000 years ago. The reason for these changes was the devastating earthquake that formed the Bosporus Strait. Due to it, the Mediterranean Sea connected with a water source nearby and began to give water to the “newborn”.
The area of the Black Sea is greater than 422 square kilometers. Its length is 580 km from north to south, while the maximum depth is 2210 m. The reservoir connects southern Europe and Asia Minor.
You can tell more than one long story or legend about the Black Sea. Here are just 15 small but interesting facts about him:
Glowing plankton in the Black Sea The Black Sea is home to thousands of resorts and sanatoriums on its shores, which are visited by millions of tourists every year. However, few people think about how much power and danger lurks in these hospitable waters.
GLOW OF THE BLACK AND AZOV SEA IN THE CRIMEA. “...The whole sea is burning with fires. Blue precious stones play on the crests of small, slightly splashing waves. In those places where the oars touch the water, deep shiny stripes light up with a magical shine. I touch the water with my hand, and when I take it back, a handful of glowing diamonds falls down, and gentle, bluish, phosphorescent lights burn for a long time on my fingers. Today is one of those magical nights about which fishermen say: “The sea is on fire!” (A.I. Kuprin.) All those who like night swimming in the sea know what the classic says so poetically and subtly. We are talking about the night glow of the sea. This magic of nature usually occurs from July to the end of September, during the summer-autumn development of plankton. In our latitudes, this phenomenon can be observed in the Black and Azov Seas. In August, the Azov Sea glows very brightly. Those who are lucky enough to accidentally and unexpectedly witness this miracle perceive it as the magic of nature. Those who have heard or read about this take note that this incredible phenomenon must be seen with their own eyes. The glow of the sea was observed a long time ago and an explanation for this phenomenon was not immediately given. The paths that scientists followed before they were able to correctly explain the essence of the glow of the sea, which for centuries remained one of the mysterious phenomena of the universe, are interesting. Various assumptions have been made. It was believed that this was due to the phosphorus content of the water or the electrical charges that arise due to the friction of salt and water molecules. Others believed that the glow occurs as a result of the friction of sea waves against the atmosphere or some solid body (boat, rock, shore pebbles). It was even assumed that at night the sea returns the solar energy accumulated during the day. Franklin came closest to the truth. He believed that the glow of the sea was an electrical phenomenon. And only in 1753, they found an explanation for this phenomenon - the naturalist Becker saw under a magnifying glass tiny single-celled organisms, two millimeters in size, which responded to any irritation with a glow. The phenomenon itself was called “bioluminescence,” which literally means “weak living glow,” or “cold” light, because it does not appear from a heated source, but as a result of a chemical reaction with oxygen. This is the natural glow of a large mass of marine organisms that have luminescent (glowing) cells. Many living organisms glow in the sea - from tiny bacteria invisible to the eye to huge fish. But the principle of glow is similar for everyone, it is akin to the glow of nocturnal fireflies, which we marvel at and admire on warm summer nights. The substance - luciferin (light carrier - Greek) is oxidized by oxygen under the action of the enzyme luciferase and quanta of green light are released.
Night swimming is extremely pleasant, making the Crimean velvet season famous: consistently in August - September, sea water near Alushta, Sudak, Evpatoria, Koktebel and other shallow resorts, as well as along the entire coast of the Sea of Azov, phosphoresces at night. When the water temperature is above 24 degrees, the microscopic algae noctiluca (noctiluca) emits a fashionable club-like luminescent light with any movement in the water. If you swim or simply walk in the water, fantastic glowing halos form around your body. In the 2016 season, the temperature reached over 24 degrees already on the 20th of June! Don't miss the night swims, you won't see anything like this in the pool. And in the sea or ocean of tropical resorts, night swimming is simply prohibited due to the danger of sharks and all kinds of poisonous sea creatures.
There is a legend in Crimea, according to which in ancient times the Greeks decided to conquer this rich and fertile land. Many ships containing armed warriors appeared off the coast of Taurida. They wanted to approach the shore under cover of darkness and quietly attack the sleeping inhabitants. However, the sea was indignant at such treachery. It lit up with a blue flame, and the residents saw the aliens.
The Greek ships sailed as if on silver. The oars splashed water, and the spray twinkled like stars in the sky. Even the foam near the shore glowed with a dead blue light. The attack was repulsed and the ships retreated in disarray. This is a legend. However, in every legend, fiction is combined with a very real event.
I am not a historian and it is difficult for me to judge the attacks of the Greeks on the inhabitants of Crimea in those distant times. But the glow of the sea is a completely understandable fact. This phenomenon can still be observed in the summer in the Black Sea. And in warmer seas, the glow can be so strong that from a distance it seems like the glow of a large fire. You can watch for hours how the wave rushing onto the shore flashes with bright sparks. The trace left by the ship in the sea at night is also beautiful - the water glows with a phosphorescent, but quite distinct light.
This is what the famous Charles Darwin writes about this in his book “The Voyage of the Beagle.” “... A fresh wind was blowing, and the entire surface of the sea, which during the day was completely covered with foam, now glowed with a faint light. The ship drove two waves in front of it, as if made of liquid phosphorus, and a milky light stretched in its wake. As far as the eye could see, the crest of each wave glowed, and the sky near the horizon, reflecting the sparkle of these bluish lights, was not as dark as the sky above.”
Russian writer Ivan Goncharov in his novel “Frigate Pallas” describes the glow of the sea this way: “... The water shines at night with an unbearable phosphoric brilliance. Yesterday the light was so strong that flames burst out from under the ship; even the sails reflected the glow; a wide fiery street spread behind the stern; It's dark all around..."
Konstantin Paustovsky in his work “The Black Sea” about the glow of the sea writes: “The sea has turned into an unfamiliar starry sky, thrown at our feet. Myriads of stars, hundreds of Milky Ways floated under water. They either sank, dying out, to the very bottom, or flared up, floating to the surface of the water. The eye distinguished two lights: motionless, slowly swaying in the water, and another light, all in motion, cutting through the water with quick purple flashes... We were present at one of the greatest phenomena at sea."
Beautifully written, isn't it?
People have long noticed this property of sea water, but for a long time they could not understand its reason. For many centuries, this phenomenon was considered one of the greatest mysteries of the ocean.
It was assumed that the glow of sea water is associated with the physical properties of water and the salt dissolved in it. According to another version, the sea accumulates sunlight during the day and emits it at night. The third hypothesis explained this effect due to the friction of waves against the atmosphere or solid objects (ships, rocks). They all turned out to be wrong.
The nature of the sea glow was first discovered by the Russian navigator, Admiral Ivan Fedorovich Krusenstern (1770-1846). He led the first Russian round-the-world expedition in 1803-1806 on the ships Nadezhda and Neva and compiled the Atlas of the South Sea. He suggested that the glow of the sea is caused by tiny organisms living in the water. As further research showed, I.F. Krusenstern turned out to be right.
Night light Noctiluca scintillans - species of colorless
dinoflagellates from the order Noctiluca.
As it was later established, many marine organisms have the ability to emit light. The ability to glow has been observed in representatives of many thousands of species of animals and plants. These include some fish, including sharks, cephalopods (in particular, squid), jellyfish, crustaceans, protozoa and, of course, algae. Some organisms glow so brightly that several crustaceans placed in a jar emit so much light that a person can read a newspaper. The glow serves to protect against predators, or to lure prey or to attract individuals of the opposite sex.
However, the main and main source of sea glow are dinoflagellates - single-celled organisms that have properties of both plants and animals. Some species of dinoflagellates contain chlorophyll (they are classified as plants), while others do not and are classified as animals. In addition, many of them have so-called “tails”, “flagellums”, which give them some freedom of movement.
Among the dinoflagellates, the most numerous are the peridineans. This is a large group of planktonic organisms (from the Greek “planktos” - floating in the water column); Most species live in warm seas and oceans.
Most peridines have the ability to emit light, especially when agitated. However, this is not the only thing they are famous for. They belong to the flagellates. Scientists divide them into two groups - plant and animal. In many cases the boundary between animal and plant peridinea is indistinguishable. This is due to the fact that some of them are typical plants, capable of creating organic matter from carbon dioxide and mineral salts in the light. Others, like animals, consume ready-made organic compounds. Organic compounds dissolved in water are absorbed through the cell walls, and formed particles are absorbed through a special opening (the so-called “mouth”). There is also a third group of organisms that combines the properties of algae and animals; in the light, like plants, they create organic matter, and in the dark (at great depths where sunlight does not penetrate) they feed on ready-made organic matter.
Most people don't even know that peridines exist, they are so small. Their size does not exceed hundredths of a millimeter. Meanwhile, they, together with other algae, produce 30-40% of all organic substances created on Earth. In seas and fresh water bodies there are sometimes so many of them that the water turns brown. Their concentration can reach 100 thousand organisms in 1 milliliter of water. This phenomenon is called plankton bloom. For example, the name of the Red Sea is also associated with the development of microscopic algae, which gives the water its corresponding color. True, these algae belong to a completely different group - blue-green.
Peridinea can be of various shapes: some of them are spherical, others are equipped with long horn-like outgrowths. These outgrowths protect them from being eaten by animals, and at the same time help them float in the water column.
What is the role of these algae in the seas and oceans? Tiny algae are the main food of ocean inhabitants. On land, plant communities provide food for all terrestrial herbivores. In the seas and oceans, microscopic algae serve as a source of food for the myriad of small animals, mainly crustaceans, that feed on them. In turn, these planktonic animals are eaten by larger organisms, which are eaten by fish, and so on, until humans complete the food chain of eaters and eaters.
It should be noted that some peridineas are toxic. Their massive development sometimes leads to poisoning and death of fish and seabirds. This phenomenon is called "red tide".
The second most important organism that causes the sea to glow is the flagellated noctiluca (also known as the nightglow). The nocturnal moth is a single-celled protozoan and belongs to the armored flagellates. Its body is spherical, about 2-3 mm in size with a movable contractile carapace. It reproduces mainly by dividing in two. The contents of the cell are filled with fatty inclusions, which, upon mechanical and chemical irritation, oxidize and begin to glow. Noctiluca forms accumulations in the surface layers of warm waters, where it feeds on algae, bacteria, and protozoa.
The night light begins to glow from any irritation, scaring off possible enemies with flashes, in particular the crustaceans that feed on it. The nightglow has two flagella, with one it moves food to the mouth, and the other serves as a motor. With its help, it moves through the water column.
So, thanks to the legend, we became acquainted with amazing creatures - possessing the properties of plants and animals, and also capable of glowing at the slightest touch.
In preparing the article, funds from state support were used, allocated as a grant in accordance with the order of the President of the Russian Federation dated March 29, 2013 No. 115-rp) and on the basis of a competition held by the Knowledge Society of Russia.
review copied from the site http://hydro.bio.msu.ru/
Photos from sites: visualsunlimited.photoshelter.com And adorablearchana.blogspot.com
