July 25, 2011
        These distinct circular patterns of blue light are actually unicellular organisms. They’re called dinoflagellates and these species in particular produce bioluminescence. However, their anatomy and physiology make them cumbersome to be ordained as strictly a plant or animal, for their classification remains irresolute, more or less. During the day, the pigments in their bodies absorb sunlight as they conduct photosynthesis. At night, disturbed by either a wave or other creature, they whip their flagella whose processes catalyze a chemical reaction which illuminates its whole body. The true purpose of this unusual bioluminescent feature is largely unknown, but has been deducted to be a sort of defense mechanism. I’m still uncertain as to the exact species I saw but the light they emitted was more green than blue.           I was at Green Harbor Beach with a couple friends skimboarding late at night when we noticed something in the water. There was not a cloud in the sky, so the light from all the stars may have been why we were oblivious to the water’s glow earlier. The fact that we had seen several shooting stars may have also jaded our attention towards the shore as well. After running around the shore for a bit, we slowly realized that the water we were skimming on was saturated with an infinite amount of these blinking green orbs. We soon noticed that their flashes were reactionary, for every step we took would excite a cloud of green light. You could actually cup some of them in your hand and watch as they flashed every couple seconds. Looking at the tide come in, the crashing crests of the waves would stir them, so it almost looked like there were just green bands of light rolling onto the beach.           Although we knew there was something odd in the water, we weren’t sure as to what was responsible for what was happening. Assuming the flashes were either radioactive particles or weird fish eggs, we still skimmed on green waves for a while.  

        These distinct circular patterns of blue light are actually unicellular organisms. They’re called dinoflagellates and these species in particular produce bioluminescence. However, their anatomy and physiology make them cumbersome to be ordained as strictly a plant or animal, for their classification remains irresolute, more or less. During the day, the pigments in their bodies absorb sunlight as they conduct photosynthesis. At night, disturbed by either a wave or other creature, they whip their flagella whose processes catalyze a chemical reaction which illuminates its whole body. The true purpose of this unusual bioluminescent feature is largely unknown, but has been deducted to be a sort of defense mechanism. I’m still uncertain as to the exact species I saw but the light they emitted was more green than blue.

          I was at Green Harbor Beach with a couple friends skimboarding late at night when we noticed something in the water. There was not a cloud in the sky, so the light from all the stars may have been why we were oblivious to the water’s glow earlier. The fact that we had seen several shooting stars may have also jaded our attention towards the shore as well. After running around the shore for a bit, we slowly realized that the water we were skimming on was saturated with an infinite amount of these blinking green orbs. We soon noticed that their flashes were reactionary, for every step we took would excite a cloud of green light. You could actually cup some of them in your hand and watch as they flashed every couple seconds. Looking at the tide come in, the crashing crests of the waves would stir them, so it almost looked like there were just green bands of light rolling onto the beach.

          Although we knew there was something odd in the water, we weren’t sure as to what was responsible for what was happening. Assuming the flashes were either radioactive particles or weird fish eggs, we still skimmed on green waves for a while.

 

3:04am  |   URL: http://tmblr.co/ZWdxmx7Uy3gm
(Notes: 12)
  
Filed under: beautiful biology bioluminescence blue botany chemistry dinoflagellates life lucid nature ocean stars wow wtf zoology science 
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