Glowing plankton is an amazing sight. This microscopic organism is able to transform an entire sea into a radiant starry sky, transporting the observer into a fantasy world of magic.
Plankton
Plankton is a generic name for a variety of heterogeneous organisms that mainly live in well-lit water layers. They are not able to resist the force of the current, so often their groups are carried to the shores.
Any (including luminous) plankton is food for the rest, 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 coast and ply through the reservoir.
As mentioned above, the upper layers of the sea or ocean are the richest in plankton, but some species (for example, bacteria and zooplankton) inhabit the water column to the maximum possible depths for life.
What types of plankton glow?
Not all species have the ability to bioluminescence. ATin particular, large jellyfish and diatoms are deprived of it.
Glowing plankton is mainly represented by unicellular plants - dinoflagellates. By the end of summer, their numbers peak in warm weather, so during this period you can observe especially intense illumination off the coast.
If the water shines with individual 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 through the body in azure tints when it collides with an obstacle.
Sometimes it happens quite a rare phenomenon when the 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.
Why do plankton glow in the sea?
Plankton emit light through a chemical process called bioluminescence. A thorough study revealed that this is nothing more than a conditioned reflex in response to irritation.
Sometimes 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 rushing towards the cell, as a result of which the vacuole filled with elementary particles generates energy withsubsequent chemical reaction resulting in the surface glow of the body. With additional exposure, bioluminescence is enhanced.
In simpler terms, we can say that the luminous plankton will shine even brighter when colliding with some kind of obstacle or other irritant. For example, if you put your hand in the very center of a cluster of organisms or throw a small stone at its center, the result will be a very bright flash that can momentarily blind the observer.
In general, this is a very beautiful sight, because when objects fall into water filled with plankton, blue or green neon circles diverge from the point of contact. Watching this effect is very relaxing, but throwing into the water should not be abused.
Where to see
Glowing plankton is found in the Maldives and the Crimea (Black Sea). It can also be seen in Thailand, but, judging by the reviews, infrequently. Many tourists complained that for the sake of this spectacle they even visited paid beaches, but often ended up with nothing.
With scuba gear, it's great to watch the plankton at depth. It is comparable to being under a starfall and literally takes your breath away. Nevertheless, it is worth doing this only with a small accumulation of organisms. This is due to the release of poisonous toxins by some types of plankton that are dangerous to human he alth.
So it's still safer to watch the glow from the shore. It is especially not recommended to let children go into the water at such moments, because the dose of toxins,which will be trifling for adults, can cause intoxication in a growing organism.
