Blue beach in Sweden lit up by a clusters of glowing plankton

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Blue beach in Sweden lit up by a clusters of glowing plankton

Posted by sciencetech-blog on Tuesday, December 2, 2014 Label:

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These neon waves lapping gently at the shore may look supernatural, but they are created by one of nature's tinniest creatures.

Millions of plankton glowed to light up a beach on the tiny island of Mjorn in Sweden last Wednesday.

Scientists believe the bioluminescent phenomenon is the result of plankton being disturbed, causing them to emit light though a complex chemical reaction.

An eerie glow: Millions of plankton glowed to light up a beach on the tiny island of Mjorn in Sweden last Wednesday.Scientists believe the bioluminescent phenomenon is the result of plankton being disturbed, causing them to emit light though a complex chemical reaction

Organisms such as plankton, fireflies and anglerfish are able to glow by releasing the chemical luciferin, which reacts with oxygen to create light.

Lukasz Warzecha, who lives in High Peak, Derbyshire, photographed the stunning sight while on a trip with to Sweden.

'After a good half an hour of shooting in the area I was cold and ready to leave but Ulrika [a friend who appears in the photographs] decided to have a look for some bioluminescence,' he said.

Hands on: Organisms such as plankton, fireflies and anglerfish are able to glow by releasing the chemical luciferin, which reacts with oxygen to create light. Here, Lukasz Warzecha puts his hands into the water to disturb the tiny creatures, causing them to give off light

A haunting spectacle: The amateur photographer from Derbyshire had never seen the natural phenomenon before and would have missed it if his friend Ulrika (pictured) hadn't thrown some small stones in the water, which came to life and glowed

WHAT IS BIOLUMINESCENCE?

Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism.

It occurs widely in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some fungi and microorganisms such as phytoplankton.

The word comes from the Greek 'bios' for living and the Latin 'lumen' for light.

Bioluminescence is a type of light energy produced by a chemical reaction.

Different types of animals use bioluminescence in different ways.

Deep sea squid use it for counter illumination camouflage so they match their environmental light, but Anglefish use it to lure prey with a light-up dangling appendage from their head that draws in smaller fish, which they can eat.

Fireflies use bioluminescence to attract mates by flashing their abdomens, while their larvae use it to repel predators.

'I'd never seen it before, but she threw some small stones close to the shore and the ocean came alive - I couldn't believe my eyes.

'We went around the corner to an even smaller bay and as we were walking along the beach our feet were leaving shining footprints.

'The concentration of plankton in that small area was so big it looked at times like the water was on fire and was certainly mirroring the sky.'

Dr Andy Davies, a marine biologist at Bangor University's School of Ocean Sciences, explained: 'The light is created by small organisms called plankton, which are producing this light through a complex chemical reaction.

'It's an example of how organisms have evolved complex responses to external stimulus.'

He said that late spring and early summer are the best times to see the phenomenon, so it seems that Mr Warzecha was lucky to witness the eerie spectacle.

Bioluminescence occurs widely among some groups of animals, especially in the open sea and in insects.

'Most marine light-emission is in the blue and green light spectrum - the wavelengths that pass furthest through seawater,' he said.

'However, some loose-jawed fish emit red and infrared light, and the genus Tomopteris emits yellow light.

'Sometimes thousands of square miles of the ocean shine with the light of bioluminescent bacteria in the milky seas,' he said.

Spectacular: 'The concentration of plankton in that small area was so big it looked at times like the water was on fire and was certainly mirroring the sky,' Mr Warzecha (pictured) said

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