4/11/2006: Glowing waves

[NoBarkDawg]

Call me crazy, but I don't think that's a bunch of little underwater aliens that learned to control water... Though on the far right it does look like a bunch of underwater lights are turned on. Still don't think it's an alien conspiracy though.

[xoxoxoBruce]

That must be bright for the camera to capture it.
Well, there's good news and bad news......
The good news is they make pretty waves at night.
The bad news is;

Besides being important primary producers, and therefore an important part of the food chain, dinoflagellates are also known for producing nasty toxins, particularly when they occur in large numbers, called "red tides" because the cells are so abundant they make the water change colour.

Besides being bad for a large range of marine life, red tides can also introduce non-fatal or fatal amounts of toxins into animals (particularly shellfish) that may be eaten by humans, who are also affected by the toxins. Many of these toxins are quite potent, and if not fatal, can still cause neurological and all sorts of other nasty effects.

Add this to the rather ominous suspicion that red tides may be more common thanks to human inputs of phosphates and warmer global temperatures, and you can probably see why we have a vested interest in finding out more about them - both medical and economic.