2023-06-26 11:25:37
To produce light, nature does not need human beings. Witness the spectacular aurora borealis which enchant the polar nights thanks to the activity of the Sun. Scientists are also taking a close interest in algae and fish that have the ability to produce and emit their own light. This fascinating chemical phenomenon has a name: bioluminescence. It results from the meeting between luciferase, which is an enzyme, and the molecule of luciferin.
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This Sunday, June 25, the BBC published an article in which we learn that this phenomenon is observed in particular on the coasts of Wales. This light, which is an ethereal blue, flashes along the waves as they roll toward the shore. It is the plankton, made up of tiny creatures, which has the capacity to produce this light, when a predator – or even a simple movement – comes to disturb it.
A teacher observed this phenomenon in Thailand
In the eyes of human beings, the phenomenon is a real spectacle. Moreover, more and more people are flocking to the Welsh beaches, late at night, with the hope of attending. “These are the northern lights of the ocean”confides to our colleagues Emma Tumulty, a 42-year-old teacher from Cardiff who had the chance to observe this scintillating plankton in June, while she was on the beach of Caswell Bay, located in the south- east of the Gower Peninsula, in the township of Swansea.
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On social networks, enthusiasts regularly exchange information on this subject, indicating in real time the place where they have witnessed similar scenes.
With the BBC, Emma Tumulty explained that this experience was not a first for her. Indeed, about fifteen years earlier, she had seen bioluminescent plankton while she was diving in Thailand. However, she never imagined that one day she would be able to attend so close to home…
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#Bioluminescence #hunt #shimmering #plankton #oceanic #aurora #borealis