Jervis Bay in New South Wales has become a “treat of the light” in recent days due to a bloom of luminescent algae.
On January 15, residents David Finlay recorded the enchanting beauty of Plantation Point Beach on Jervis Bay in South East Australia. Scenes at nightfall show that with a slight impact from waves or people, the seawater immediately emits a blue light.
According to Finlay, the phenomenon is caused by a species of bioluminescent algae called Noctiluca scintillans. The increase in nutrients in the water from wild ash in recent years has created the conditions for algae to grow and flower simultaneously.
N. scintillans bioluminescence is produced by a luciferin and luciferase system, consisting of a number of luminescent molecules and enzymes, located in thousands of spherical organelles on the cytoplasm of protozoa. this. N. scintillans algae do not produce toxins, so they are not dangerous for humans. However, their high densities can deplete oxygen from the water, threatening marine life.
The phenomenon of glowing seaweed beaches has already been observed in many regions of the world such as San Diego (United States), the island of Vaadhoo, Mudhdhoo and Rangali (Maldives) or the coast of Xiangbi’ao (China) .
