Red Tide
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Blooming Algae Create Electric Blue Waves
Beautiful shots of a glowing, living ocean are quite awesome to behold! But is this really a good thing?
It depends, according to scientists, on whether you are human or fish, and how much of this glowing algae is present. It can be known to clog up the shores and choke the oxygen in the water, effectively suffocating small shellfish.
But in small quantities, such as in the videos in this lens taken off the coast of California in a Red Tide event in September, 2011, it is harmless, other than a bit of discomfort and a foul smell.
Let's take a look at what causes this mysterious glow in the waves and whether or not we need to be concerned about it.
Photo: Screenshot from video by Loghan Call. See Below
It depends, according to scientists, on whether you are human or fish, and how much of this glowing algae is present. It can be known to clog up the shores and choke the oxygen in the water, effectively suffocating small shellfish.
But in small quantities, such as in the videos in this lens taken off the coast of California in a Red Tide event in September, 2011, it is harmless, other than a bit of discomfort and a foul smell.
Let's take a look at what causes this mysterious glow in the waves and whether or not we need to be concerned about it.
Photo: Screenshot from video by Loghan Call. See Below
Red Tide - Bioluminescent San Diego, 2011
by LoghanCall
Beautiful capture of the waves with Spies by Coldplay in the background - an eerily wise choice. I suspect he chose it because of this line, which is repeated throughout the song:
"and the spies came out of the water.... but you're feeling so bad 'cause you know"
What we "know" in this case is that these funky neon blue algae types are toxic.... so there is that!
The waves "disturb" the algae with their motion, which sets off a type of alarm and causes them to glow.
"and the spies came out of the water.... but you're feeling so bad 'cause you know"
What we "know" in this case is that these funky neon blue algae types are toxic.... so there is that!
The waves "disturb" the algae with their motion, which sets off a type of alarm and causes them to glow.
curated content from YouTube
Tiny Organisms
Lingulodinium Polyedrum
The blue glow is created by tiny little organisms called Lingulodinium Polyedrum. It is a chemical reaction which creates the blue glow at night, which is not visible in daylight. They are really a red color, which is why they are called "Red Tide". It's kind of yucky stuff really, and you don't really want to get it in your eyes or ears, or swallow it either. The type of phytoplankton in this "Red Tide" won't kill you but it's nasty stuff, and it has a foul smell to it.There are some types of Red Tide which are much more harmful. Always be careful before venturing out into waters with Red Tide. Check with your local authorities to be sure it is safe.
"Marine and fresh waters teem with life, much of it microscopic, and most of it harmless; in fact, it is this microscopic life on which all aquatic life ultimately depends for food" from Harmful Algae Blooms (HAB)
Photo by Miriam Godfrey
Seriously Spectacular Flashes of Light
"When jostled, each organism will give off a flash of blue light created by a chemical reaction within the cell. When billions and billions of cells are jostled - say, by a breaking wave - you get a seriously spectacular flash of light."
Peter Franks - Deep Sea News
Musing on a Sea Enigma
While the event in Southern Cali is what brought this situation to my attention, it is a worldwide phenomena which has some very concerned! Let's see what the blogosphere has to say about it lately.
- Red Tide closes Scituate clam flats
- By Jessica Bartlett, Town Correspondent According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a red tide occurs when colonies of algae grow out of control, producing toxic effects of people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds.
- Study Reveals Dangers of Red Tide
- According to one local marine expert, red tide could be more dangerous than first thought. Dr. Paul Zimba, a local professor at Texas A&M Corpus Christi is studying the health effects of the toxin found in the algae that's found in the ocean during red ...
- 278-square-km red tide threatens local abalone farms in Pingtan, Fujian
- Eight red tides have occurred this year off the coast of east China's Fujian province, and the algal blooms have killed millions of abalone, according to local authorities. A 278-square-km red tide covering a sea area of Pingtan county in Fujian was ...
- Red tide? Fireworks? Mystery of flaming rocks ignites theories
- If there had been a red tide, which involves phosphates, lately at the beach, maybe the rocks were bathed in the phosphorous substance from that. Another: The orange flecks on the rocks could have come from iron deposits that oxidized and rusted, ...
Experimenting with Lingulodinium Polyedrum
With a length of barely 2~3 millimeters, when external stimulus is received, it discharges a luminous substance. Our camera caught the shining of the mysterious marine blue beautifully. (loose Japanese translation of description below video)
The author filmed his hand dipped in the algae which causes red tide, and was able to show close up how they react to external stimuli.
The author filmed his hand dipped in the algae which causes red tide, and was able to show close up how they react to external stimuli.
curated content from YouTube
More In Depth Material on the Science of it all
And on the dangers of this phytoplankton
Red, Waves and Blue
Astonishing!
This microscopic phytoplankton proves that even tiny organisms, in huge numbers - often two million cells per one litre of water - can produce astonishing and fascinating results.
....EnvironmentalGraffitti.com
Kayaking the Red Tide
Tim King & Ryan Lum
Mission Bay, San Diego Sep 28, 2011
curated content from YouTube
Beauty inspired by Oceans all over the World
But How do they Create that Light?
What makes Lightning Bugs Light?
Apparently it is the same process in both: Bioluminescence
Here's Wikipedia's answer:
"The enzyme luciferase acts on luciferin,
in the presence of magnesium ions,
ATP (adenosene triphosphate),
and oxygen to produce light."
Okey Dokey?
Let's try it in a little more plain English:
"The cells contain a chemical called luciferin and make an enzyme called luciferase. To make light, the luciferin combines with oxygen to form an inactive molecule called oxyluciferin. The luciferase speeds up the reaction"
That's a little better! From HowStuffWorks.com
Might make a fun science project.
Red Tide
Tracking the latest on Twitter
The most quoted 140 character post on Red Tide:
"Oooo, Electric-blue glowing phytoplankton! Put it in a bottle and shake to waken the dinoflagellates. SHINY!"... @xenophile23
"Oooo, Electric-blue glowing phytoplankton! Put it in a bottle and shake to waken the dinoflagellates. SHINY!"... @xenophile23
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- trishaclarkin
- RT @fiddlehead: Red Tide, 46” x 35” oil on canvas http://t.co/kn0DloAk
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- fiddlehead
- Red Tide, 46” x 35” oil on canvas http://t.co/kn0DloAk
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- RushWilsonLtd
- Southern Tide, Rush Wilson Ltd. t-shirts in Gold, Red, White and Aruba: http://t.co/tTbdWqri
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- Cristopherlevy
- @critz240112 may red tide nga daw sbi ni @juhachiLOVE
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- Cristopherlevy
- @juhachiLOVE @critz240112 tama may red tide ngayon
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- sandraenuqui
- @xheepoge @imyourqui Pero wala naman ako highblood. Red tide lang ngayon. Haha
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- IBe_KidCrawford
- T.T. Breath Smell Likee Red Tide !
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- karma_1101
- Red tide edsa! Demmit! http://t.co/4Y9Y3XL2
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- lore_mano
- Yachts at Anchor in Red Wharf Bay at Low Tide - 72"W x 48"H - Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys | Bay Furniture http://t.co/Vrxx1xQs
automatically generated by Twitter
Crazy Beautiful
Red Tide Photos
Thanks to these generous Flickr Photographers for sharing their awesome pics!
automatically generated by Flickr
Resources on Red Tide
Used in this Lens
- Red Tide off California Coast Creates Blue Glow - ABC News
- Red tide at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas, Calif. North County Times/Zuma Press/Newscom It’s best seen at night. In the Pacific Ocean off San Diego, masses of algae have bloomed to form what’s known as a red tide. By and large, it is not considered a good thing. The algae are someti
- Neon Blue Waves Attract Night Surfers in San Diego
- People living along the coast see the blue waves of the ocean every day, but only once a year do they get to see neon blue waves. Late summer algae blooms,
- The San Diego red tide: FAQ from Scripps professor Dr. Peter Franks | Deep Sea News
- This is a guest post modified from two emails by professor of biological oceanography Peter Franks, reprinted here with his permission. Peter is a
- Lingulodinium polyedrum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Lingulodinium polyedrum
Lingulodinium polyedrumL polyedrum in the surf off Solana Beach, California on 25 September 2011. (Exposure: 3 sec / f4 / ISO 3200 / f 210 mm) - Red Tide Causes Glow-In-The-Dark Blue Waves On San Diego Beaches (VIDEOS)
- Huffington Post
This Lens is Part of a Quest!
Sammy The Salmon #15
This marks the halfway point in the process! 15 of 30 new lenses in a new niche. Well after doing 15, It's not such a new niche to me anymore, and I guess that's the point! By the time I'm done, I'll be an expert on the Oceans of the world! Yay!
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