Bioluminescent phytoplankton - starry sky in sea water

On the sea coasts in different corners of our planet you can observe an unusually beautiful phenomenon - the night glow of bioluminescent plankton. Shades of blue merge into bizarre patterns and again crumble into thousands of lights, forming a bewitching picture, which can be admired endlessly.

The essence of this natural phenomenon is the ability of the smallest organisms - unicellular night plankton plankton - to emit light in response to external stimuli. According to scientists, this may be the surf or contact with boats and surfboards. These microorganisms reach their greatest numbers by the end of the warm period, when it is possible to observe a particularly intense illumination off the coast of the sea. Such a miracle occurs not only in the tropics, but also in our country, on the shores of the Black and Azov Seas.

From the point of view of the essence of the process, we can say that bioluminescence is created by a simple chemical reaction, which includes luciferin, an enzyme, and several other substances specific to individual creatures and plants. The active chemical in the glow process is luciferin, which scientists have long been interested in. But he, unfortunately, has a short lifespan in an active state. Therefore, its application in the field of electronics and medicine remains only a dream for humanity.

Watch the video: Sea of Stars - Vaadhoo Island, Maldives (May 2024).