To produce light, nature does not need humans. Watch the amazing Northern Lights that enchant the polar nights thanks to the activity of the sun. Scientists are also paying close attention to which algae and fish 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 a luciferin molecule.
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This Sunday, June 25th, BBC He published an article in which we learned that this phenomenon was observed in particular on the coasts of Wales. This light, an ethereal blue, flickers along the waves as they roll towards the shore. It is the plankton, made up of tiny organisms, that have the ability to produce this light, when disturbed by a predator – or even a simple movement.
One teacher observed this phenomenon in Thailand
This phenomenon in the eyes of humans is a real scene. Moreover, more and more people flock to Welsh beaches, late at night, hoping to attend. “These are the northern lights of the ocean.”admits our colleague Emma Tumulty, a 42-year-old teacher from Cardiff, who had the opportunity to observe these sparkling plankton in June, while on the shore of Caswell Bay, located in the southeast of the Gower Peninsula, in the town of Swansea.
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On social networks, enthusiasts regularly exchange information on this topic, indicating in real time where they witnessed similar scenes.
With the BBC, Emma Tumulty explained that this experience was not her first. In fact, about fifteen years ago, she had seen bioluminescent plankton while she was snorkeling in Thailand. However, she never imagined that she would one day be able to come so close to home…
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