UPSC Articles
Blue Tide phenomenon observed in Maharashtra
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Environment; Science
In news
- Over the last few days, visitors to beaches in Maharashtra have witnessed the fluorescent bluish glow when the waves hit the shoreline.
Key takeaways
- The phenomenon is called ‘blue tide’.
- It appears when luminescent marine life makes the sea appear a deep shade of blue.
- It occurs when phytoplankton (microscopic marine plants), commonly known as dinoflagellates, produce light through chemical reactions in proteins.
- Waves disturb these unicellular microorganisms and make them release blue light.
Do you know?
- Bioluminescence is the property of a living organism to produce and emit light.
- Animals, plants, fungi and bacteria show bioluminescence.
- A remarkable diversity of marine animals and microbes are able to produce their own light.
- It is found in many marine organisms such as bacteria, algae, jellyfish, worms, crustaceans, sea stars, fish and sharks.
- Luminescence is generally higher in deep-living and planktonic organisms than in shallow species.
- It is an anti-predatory response.
- Bioluminescence is assumed to startle predators, causing them to hesitate.
