Surreal Images Of Glowing Toxic Blue Algae In Sea Off Hong Kong

[hatrack]

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Eerie fluorescent blue patches of water glimmering off Hong Kong's seashore are magnificent, disturbing and potentially toxic, marine biologists say.

The glow is an indicator of a harmful algal bloom created by something called Noctiluca scintillans, nicknamed Sea Sparkle. It looks like algae and can act like algae. But it's not quite. It is a single-celled organism that technically can function as both animal and plant.

These type blooms are triggered by farm pollution that can be devastating to marine life and local fisheries, according to University of Georgia oceanographer Samantha Joye, who was shown Associated Press photos of the glowing water. "Those pictures are magnificent. It's just extremely unfortunate that the mysterious and majestic blue hue is created by a Noctiluca," Joye wrote in an email Thursday.

This is part of a problem that is growing worldwide, said Joye and other scientists. Noctiluca is a type of single-cell life that eats plankton and is eaten by other species. The plankton and Noctiluca become more abundant when nitrogen and phosphorous from farm run-off increase.

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http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/homegarden/289495751.html

[marym625]

1. wow

Is there any way they can clean it up? Maybe 8th the same fashion they would skim oil off?

What a shame it's toxic. How interesting that it acts as both animals and plant.

Really interesting stuff. Thanks for the post

[Systematic Chaos]

2. Biosphere? BIOSPHERE? We don't neeeeed no STEEEEEENKING biosphere!!

[niyad]

3. it is horrible that something so beautiful is so toxic.

[Scuba]

4. Hey, it's just the ocean. It's not like anyone lives there.