GLOWING PLANKTON MAKE THIS BEACH IN SWEDEN LOOK LIKE AN ALIEN WORLD AT NIGHT

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Millions of plankton glowed to light up a beach on the tiny island of Mjorn in Sweden last Wednesday

Spectacular natural spectacle was captured by an amateur photographer from Derbyshire who was on holiday

He said the eerie glowing sight looked like the 'water was on fire and was certainly mirroring the sky'

Scientists believe bioluminescent phenomenon is due to plankton being disturbed, causing them to emit light 

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An eerie glow: Millions of plankton glowed to light up a beach on the tiny island of Mjorn in Sweden last Wednesday.Scientists believe the bioluminescent phenomenon is the result of plankton being disturbed, causing them to emit light though a complex chemical reaction

 

 

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Hands on: Organisms such as plankton, fireflies and anglerfish are able to glow by releasing the chemical luciferin, which reacts with oxygen to create light. Here, Lukasz Warzecha puts his hands into the water to disturb the tiny creatures, causing them to give off light

 

 

Spectacular: ‘The concentration of plankton in that small area was so big it looked at times like the water was on fire and was certainly mirroring the sky,’ Mr Warzecha (pictured) said

 

 

 What is bioluminescence? 

• Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism.
• It occurs widely in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some fungi and microorganisms such as phytoplankton.
• The word comes from the Greek 'bios' for living and the Latin 'lumen' for light.
• Bioluminescence is a type of light energy produced by a chemical reaction.
• Different types of animals use bioluminescence in different ways.
• Deep sea squid use it for counter illumination camouflage so they match their environmental light, but anglefish use it to lure prey with a light-up dangling appendage from their head that draws in smaller fish, which they can eat.
• Fireflies use bioluminescence to attract mates by flashing their abdomens, while their larvae use it to repel predators

Source

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2857452/An-alien-world-No-vibrant-beach-lit-natural-phenomenon-causing-sand-GLOW-vibrant-beach-lit-natural-phenomenon-causing-sand-GLOW.html

 

RELATED

 

Learning about plankton - the Plankton Portal

Plankton is in danger.  No plankton, no life in the ocean

http://www.planktonportal.org/

 

Outline of plankton life forms

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep6d.htm

 

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