Bioluminescence turns Australia's shores fluorescent blue
May 20, 2015 04:32
The shores of Hobart, Tasmania, have been twinkling a bright, neon blue the past few days, turning the water's surface into a scene that looks out of this world.
Photographers have flocked to the glowing waters to witness the bioluminescent phenomenon firsthand.
Jo Malcomson, owner of Blackpaw Photography, splashed in the water Monday while capturing the bright display at South Arm, a town on the outskirts of Hobart.
"It was very much like entering into a magical wonderland. It's a childlike wondrous experience, which completely absorbs one's attention and captures one's imagination," he said.
The bioluminescence is caused by blooms of large single-cell organisms called dinoflagellates. The particular dinoflagellate glowing in the Australian waters is the Noctiluca scintillans species.
Dinoflagellates are very common in the ocean, explained Michael Latz, marine biologist and bioluminescence expert at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, California.
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