phospherence in the water

[smeaks]

During a recent night sail up the Nortumbrian coast we were treated to a fantastic display of grren flash flurecsence in the sea from the bow wave and stern turbulence. What is the organism that causes this and what is the catalyst that makes them glow? agitation? mixes with air at the point of turbulence?

I tried to as David Attenborough but he is not returning my calls...

 

[barnaclephill]

Agitation I think. Yes, it often happens at the surface when an anchor is pulled up or there's a bow wave, but the best display was the torpedos (dolphins) playing with us one night. Just like torpedos frolicking in , not on, the water. And also the prop makes phosphoresence, and it doesn't get air.

Some sort of chemical reaction/response inside some microscopic organism, just like fireflies.
Someone more cluey will elucidate you better.

 

[Krusty]

I don't know the correct name for the organism, but it must be one of the many within 'plankton'. This is the time of year when it abounds, and responds to disturbance.
During one night passage in the Minch, when it was particularly active, we were accompanied by leaping dolphins: brilliant green torpedos, covered in flashing green jewels when airborne. Fantastic!
If you bring up a bucket-ful and plunge a hand in, you have a green-glowing limb:
..... and if you pee in the bucket...!!

 

[rwoofer]

I remember sailing through a school of fish in the Western Approaches to the channel and the whole sea lit up as thousands upon thousands of fish set off. I first mistook it for someone turning a light on inside the boat, it was so strong.

 

[Gin]

My daughter says it's phytoplankton.

Sailing the Irish Sea in a storm many years ago the plankton was energised when the wave crests blew off downwind and the boat and crew were regularly faced with a solid wall of luminescence/water coming at us at mast height. A fantastic sight and all the more amazing as it extinguished immediately upon contact

 

[stephenh]

Technically it is 'bioluminescence' not phosphorescence and is mostly caused by dinoflagellates which are part of what are commonly called plankton.

more here :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioluminescence

 

[Gin]

Did I say phosphorescence?-Still pretty though, innit?

 

[smeaks]

thanks to all!

what a gift to all sailors!

 

[stephenh]

Pretty is too small a word...

Like you , I have seen whole waves 'alight' in a blow - awesome !!!

I was actually replying to Smeaks but I must have pressed the wrong button.....

( not the first time either, perhaps I should go on a computer course? )

 

[Carolwildbird]

According to my sources its usually caused by the types of organisms called Dinoflagellates, especially "Noctiluca scintillans" These are single celled algae.. part of the phytoplankton residents of the ocean (plankton-drifting microorganisms of many sorts; phyto- light emitting)

Amusing time when we came across a bloom in the north sea.. on a very bumpy crossing when one of our crew was inhabiting the heads, feeling quite ill. He came out whiter than he went in, convinced he had been throwing up something really aweful when the heads glowed in the dark.
A

 

[tangomoon]

Daughter is spot on on one thing

http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/HPDOCS/misr/misr_html/celtic_sea.html

These are called blooms and you can experience them a lot around the Scilly Isles where the water looks as if it's lit from below.

 

[tangomoon]

Daughter is spot on on one thing

http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/HPDOCS/misr/misr_html/celtic_sea.html

These are called blooms and you can experience them a lot around the Scilly Isles where the water looks as if it's lit from below. These creatures are responsible for most of the limestone in the world. They form a calcium carbonate shield over themselves and when they shed it, it deposits on the seabed and eventually forms things like the white cliffs of Dover. Pretty dam good for a plant that is one of 5000 species of phytoplankton and only measure 3000ths of a millimetre. Here's a better site for explanation

http://www.coexploration.org/bbsr/classroombats/html/body_virtual_plankton_tow.html

See Coccolithophorids there

 

[shmoo]

It is a bit weird when you get it in the heads-flush. We have a low-intensity red lamp in the heads for night-sailing and its dim enough so that you can see the individual beasties glowing when you pump the seawater in.

 

[Gin]

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[narooma]

One pitch black night in the Atlantic I saw a flock of birds which had presumably just taken off and were covered in the stuff. All I could see were the flashes until I checked with the lamp. Most wierd.

 

[pappaecho]

When we flush the loo in the summer we get the little beasties in the bowl.. waiting for the Dolphins

 

[Gin]

That's reassuring,£5k per term, per subject for 'A' levels not wasted then!!!!!


Edit:- Whoops!! I meant a more modest £3k per term, per subject !

 

[Avocet]

We have a clear plastic pipe from the heads inlet seacock to the heads pump and it's fun to pump the heads in the dark and watch the flashes of light shoot along the tube with each stroke.