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Red Tide Brings Bioluminescence to San Diego Beaches
From https://scripps.ucsd.edu/news/red-tide-brings-bioluminescence-san-diego-beaches
Red Tide Brings Bioluminescence to San Diego Beaches
Dinoflagellate-driven displays have been spotted from La Jolla to Encinitas
May 09, 2018
Bioluminescence from a red tide lights the waves blue in San Diego.
Photo: Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego
A red tide just offshore San Diego is bringing a spectacular display of bioluminescence to beaches at night.
Bioluminescence expert Michael Latz, a scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, said the red tide is due to aggregations of dinoflagellates including Ceratium falcatiforme and Lingulodinium polyedra, the latter of which is well known for its bioluminescent displays, with waves or movement in the water causing the phytoplankton to glow neon blue at night.
Red tides are unpredictable and not all of them produce bioluminescence. There is no red tide monitoring program, but the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System at Scripps Oceanography performs weekly sampling for potential harmful algal toxins.
Scientists do not know how long the current red tide will last, as previous events have lasted anywhere from one week to a month or more. Bioluminescent displays are viewed best from a dark beach at least two hours after sunset—but of course, visibility is not guaranteed. On Monday, May 7, bright bioluminescence was observed from La Jolla to Encinitas.
...
Dinoflagellate-driven displays have been spotted from La Jolla to Encinitas
May 09, 2018
Bioluminescence from a red tide lights the waves blue in San Diego.
Photo: Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego
A red tide just offshore San Diego is bringing a spectacular display of bioluminescence to beaches at night.
Bioluminescence expert Michael Latz, a scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, said the red tide is due to aggregations of dinoflagellates including Ceratium falcatiforme and Lingulodinium polyedra, the latter of which is well known for its bioluminescent displays, with waves or movement in the water causing the phytoplankton to glow neon blue at night.
Red tides are unpredictable and not all of them produce bioluminescence. There is no red tide monitoring program, but the Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System at Scripps Oceanography performs weekly sampling for potential harmful algal toxins.
Scientists do not know how long the current red tide will last, as previous events have lasted anywhere from one week to a month or more. Bioluminescent displays are viewed best from a dark beach at least two hours after sunset—but of course, visibility is not guaranteed. On Monday, May 7, bright bioluminescence was observed from La Jolla to Encinitas.
...
More at link.
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