Sunday, October 9, 2011

San Diego Ocean Glows in the Dark!!!


 Click here for original article
Along California's coast in San Diego there is a phenomenon going on. It happens periodically and it is called Red Tides Usually it lasts only a short while, but this year it has been already three weeks!!!!! What causes the water to light up is these tiny little organisms called Phytoplankton. The reason it is not constantly light up is because it only happens when they dominate the ocean. It is still unknown to scientists why they light up in the dark, but then not the day. During the day the waters are a murky red, brown, or purple color. However, we do know how they light up. It is a chemical reaction caused when the cells hit against something. Right now what is happening in San Diego is that they are all being pushed upon each other and that is what is causing them to light up. The reason they are being pushed upon each other is because the ocean waves are banging them against each other and at this time they are dominating the ocean so the result is a lot of them get pushed and clumped together causing the beautiful sight. What I find the best, most interesting, and defiantly the coolest part about these phytoplankton organisms is that they are not at all that toxic so you are able to swim in these amazing waters! Simply just imagine splashing your friends with glow in the dark ocean water? Or the beautiful photos you can take and what makes the already legendary golden cost even more stunning and beautiful. What you can also do with these phytoplankton organisms, if you live close to the San Diego beaches, you can fill up a jar with the ocean water and share it with your class or just use it as a very cool detail added to your room. These organisms themselves are not that beautiful, but what they produce is stunning.


2 comments:

  1. Tatjana,
    Even though you have a link to the original article, you still need to write where you found it, who wrote it and when. Good summary and reflection written.

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  2. Remember to separate into two paragraphs though. Thanks for including such beautiful images and videos.

    ReplyDelete