Blue Tide Phenomenon

Blue Tide phenomenon observed in Maharashtra

Over the last few days, visitors to beaches in Maharashtra have witnessed the fluorescent bluish glow when the waves hit the shoreline.

Key takeaways

The phenomenon is called ‘blue tide’.
It appears when luminescent marine life makes the sea appear a deep shade of blue.
It occurs when phytoplankton (microscopic marine plants), commonly known as dinoflagellates, produce light through chemical reactions in proteins.
Waves disturb these unicellular microorganisms and make them release blue light.

Do you know?

Bioluminescence is the property of a living organism to produce and emit light.
Animals, plants, fungi and bacteria show bioluminescence.
A remarkable diversity of marine animals and microbes are able to produce their own light.
It is found in many marine organisms such as bacteria, algae, jellyfish, worms, crustaceans, sea stars, fish and sharks.
Luminescence is generally higher in deep-living and planktonic organisms than in shallow species.
It is an anti-predatory response.

Bioluminescence is assumed to startle predators, causing them to hesitate.

Source: TH

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