In Hong Kong, along the shores something beautiful and a little spooky is happening. It is breathtaking to look at, unfortunately the cause of it might actually be toxic. It’s something known as sea sparkle. Read below to find out more about this incredible phenomenon.
The beautiful glow is a sign of a harmful algae bloom known as Noctiluca scintillans, better known as sea sparkle. Although it is algae, it still has a unique characteristic. It is a single-celled organism that technically can function as both animal and plant.
The pictures may be spectacular, but this specific algae is extremely harmful to the marine life. The cause of this glowing algae is actually farm pollution. This single cell organism eats plankton and is then eaten by other species.
“Those pictures are magnificent. It’s just extremely unfortunate that the mysterious and majestic blue hue is created by a Noctiluca,” says oceanographer Samantha Joye. The colors become even brighter when there is more nitrogen and phosphorus become stronger in the water from the farm run-off.
During the day, the color of this algae may appear more of a red or pink color. The blue color occurs when the organism is disturbed.
The good news is that unlike other algae this sea sparkle is not harmful to the human body and will not attack the nervous system. But, it can cause a lot of damage to the fishermen and the animals living in the sea. What are your thoughts?