Planktons are the primary food source for fishes, mussels, prawns and the like. But it is always a may or may not happen phenomenon,” said Dr Gulshad, pointing to the uncertainty. Sea sparkle is also likely to happen during these months. That is mostly when the red waves are also sighted, another similar phenomenon in which the waves are illuminated, with a red hue to them. “The months of September and October, post the rains, when the sea is rich after the flushing out from the land is said to be a bloom period for the planktons. As the life cycle of Noctiluca is just about a day, the sighting would also last only for a few hours or a day.”
This happens in relatively calm waters and in a highly conducive environment. For the glow to be visible, there should be a very high concentration, with millions of the particular plankton species coming together. Tidal amplitude disturbs the concentration. It is rarely sighted in our coasts, perhaps due to the tidal amplitude. It is more common in Japan, California in the US and in South American coasts. Though pretty rare, bioluminescence may also be sighted in estuaries and brackish waters where sea water intrusion happens. The sparkle can be compared to the fireflies’ glow, but the micro-plankton itself cannot be seen by the naked eye as it’s a micro-organism.
Throwing more light to the ‘magical glow’ phenomenon, Dr Gulshad said, “Sea sparkle, as the name suggests, is caused by high concentration of a micro-plankton called Noctiluca scintillans in the sea. Dr Gulshad Mohammed, Principal Marine Scientist, Central Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Kozhikode, who has presented a paper on the sparkling red waves, agrees with Madhu.
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