Stranger possessions
Visitors at the Thiruvanmiyur beach in Chennai were in for a surprise this weekend after the waves on the beach were glowing blue. Bioluminescent waves along the shore were spotted on Sunday night by the visitors at the beach.
Videos and pictures of the beautiful ‘blue-coloured’ waves went viral on social media. Meanwhile, the blue glow was also spotted at Eliot’s Beach at Besant Nagar.
While it is beautiful, do you know what is the blue glow? Bioluminescence is caused by Noctiluca algae, which is also called ‘sea tinkle’. It is a type of phytoplankton (algae) that convert their chemical energy into light energy when washed ashore.
It is also found in many marine animals like bacteria, algae, jellyfish, worms, crustaceans, sea stars, fish and sharks. What is interesting yet sad is, according to marine experts, the phenomenon is an indicator of climate change and can have an impact on deep sea fishing.
According to Indian Express, Dr. Pravakar Mishra, a specialist in Coastal Processes and Shoreline Management Studies at National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), said that the bioluminescence could have been caused by heavy rain and discharge of sewage into the ocean on Sunday night.
“NCCR has been monitoring beaches in Chennai for the past five years. This is the first time that we are noticing this type of plankton bloom”, said Dr. Mishra. “The phytoplankton burst could have occurred due to heavy rain and discharge of sewage into the ocean on Sunday. Factors such as pattern of the wind and the temperature of the ocean also determine the occurrence of bioluminiscent waves,” Mishra added.
You must be logged in to post a comment.