When nature puts on a show

Paolo Saracino

Over the last few days, we have received some reports, coming from the southern Adriatic coast, where the sea developed a stunning and marvelous coloration.

photo: Meteopugliainfoto

The cause is a algae, called Noctiluca Scintillas. In practice, it is able to generate bioluminescence when its cells are subjected to an external mechanical stimulus. The mechanism is based on the action of the enzyme luciferase, that catalyzes the redox reaction, which brings a light emission.

It is usually brown during the day and fluorescent at night, as we can see trough the pictures below:

photo: by Meteopugliainfoto