• Green Products
  • Eco Homes
  • DIY
  • Transportation
  • Earth
  • Energy
  • Gallery

Earth Power News

Your Guide to Living Wisely in Today's World

Home → Planet Earth → That Toxic Blue Glow: Noctiluca Scintillans

That Toxic Blue Glow: Noctiluca Scintillans

This luminescent blue glow in these waters around Hong Kong is the rsult of an algal bloom created by Noctiluca scintillans – also known as “sea sparkle.” Wave action or currents cause Noctiluca scintillans to glow.

It’s beautiful, but it’s also toxic. Run-off pollution from farms increases levels of nitrogen and phosphorous, which leads to Noctiluca scintillans, which in turn leads to dead zones:

But Noctiluca scintillans can be lethal to plants and animals. Scientists think the dead zone was created when the species killed off native algae and compromised the fish population. Gwynn Guilford of Quartz wrote: “Few animals can survive ‘dead zones’ of oxygen-poor water. As the scientists discovered, N. scintillans thrives in these conditions…. And once a dead zone sets in, it’s hard for the ocean to recover.”

– via Washington Post

Filed Under: Planet Earth

You may also like:

  • Projected ozone depletion if the world had not signed the Montreal Protocol4 new mystery gases threaten ozone layer
  • An animated chart of 42 North American butterfliesAn animated chart of 42 North American butterflies
  • Depression Deception of 2009Depression Deception of 2009
  • The Stout Residence in Mesa, AZ. Photo: Monolithic Dome InstituteSurvive and Thrive In A Monolithic Dome

Search

Advertisement

Sponsored Links

Our Twitter Feed

Tweets by @EarthPowerNews

Browse Earth Power News

  • Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards
  • DIY
  • Featured
  • Gallery
  • Green Products
  • Planet Earth
  • Renewable Energy
  • Small World in Motion Competition
  • Sustainable Homes
  • Transportation

Recent posts

  • Sacha Dench, the human swan
  • The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards
  • 2015 Nikon Small World in Motion Competition
  • Have you seen Miami Beach?
  • Phytoplankton in the North Atlantic

Contact & Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Unsubscribe policy

Copyright © 2009—2023 Earth Power News