Blue Tide Along Indian Beaches

• 01 Dec 2020

Though uncommon, recently beaches in Maharashtra and Karnataka have witnessed a fluorescent bluish glow when the waves hit the shoreline.

• Bioluminescence or light-emitting tides were witnessed on Juhu beach in Mumbai and Devgad, Velas and Murud along the state’s coastline. It was also witnessed along Dakshina Kannada-Udupi coast.

The Phenomenon behind Blue Tide

• ‘Blue tides’ appear when marine life Noctilucascintillans, commonly known as the sea sparkle, marine-dwelling species of dinoflagellate that exhibits bioluminescence is disturbed.
• Its bioluminescence is produced throughout the cytoplasm of this single-celled protist, by a luciferin-luciferase reaction in thousands of spherically shaped organelles, called scintillons.

What is Bioluminescence?

• Bioluminescence is the property of a living organism to produce and emit light.
• Animals, plants, fungi and bacteria show bioluminescence.
• For a reaction to occur, a species must contain luciferin, a molecule that, when it reacts with oxygen, produces light.
• Many organisms also produce the catalyst luciferase, which helps to speed up the reaction.
• Bioluminescence property helps organisms to protect themselves from predators as well as gather together and to make colonies.

What are Red Tides?

• A red tide is a dangerous overgrowth of microscopic marine plants known as algae. The overgrowth can turn coastal waters bright red and release toxins that harm marine life, birds and humans.
• Though “red tide” is the common term for the phenomenon, many scientists prefer “harmful algal bloom,” or HAB. Not all HABs cause water to turn red, however.