Bioluminescence in the Gippsland Lakes
Noctiluca scintillans doing what it does best in the Gippsland Lakes, a small chain of inland lakes in Victoria, Australia.
The events that transpired to make this happen are quite miraculous; firstly there was widespread fires in Victoria that burned pretty intensely for quite some time. Then, they were followed by intense flooding that inundated many areas of Gippsland amongst others. The basic effect was that floodwaters carried nutrient-rich soil and ash from the higher reaches into the Gippsland basin, leading to a eutrophic condition in which algae and bacteria can thrive.
This gave rise to a particularly prolific cyanobacteria getting a foothold, Synechococcus. Essentiallysmothering the lake in cellular life, it gave an opportunity for some pretty special creatures to breed prolifically given an abundant food source - Noctiluca scintillans, a bioluminescent Dinoflagellate.
And so, you end up with photographs like this. A once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, captured for all to share.
Photo source: http://philhart.com/content/bioluminescence-gippsland-lakes
do you see this everyone
do you see it
my hometown is ridiculously close to this
oh that’s beautiful
i’ll have to see that in person one day
(via ssnebulae)
![inothernews:
wallofdis:
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Skagen, Denmark.
This is where the North Sea and the Baltic Sea meet. Because their densities differ, they can’t merge which is what creates this distinct line. When I visited a couple of years ago, you could see the waves as the seas hit each other. Tourists gathered around and paddled in the waters [apparently too dangerous to swim due to the currents] of this phenomenon. It was one of the quietest moments of my life. I just stood and reflected, forgetting the noise of the people and instead, concentrated on the sounds of nature. It was like one of those moments in a movie when everything clicks in to place and you have dramatic heartfelt music playing in the background.
Lovely.
You are my density.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyenodSdgE1qk2ndmo1_500.jpg)
![thedailywhat:
This Island On Earth of the Day: An underwater volcano that recently erupted for the first time in over a century has led to the formation of a brand new island in the Red Sea’s Zubair archipelago.
The volcano was first sighted spewing lava on December 19th by Yemeni fishermen. The lava was cooled by the seawater, resulting in the new island.
It is unclear if the island is here to stay, but the 500-meter-wide land mass continues to expand suggesting it’s only a matter of time before the first Starbucks opens.
[newscientist.]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lwzi9qAXqa1qzpwi0o1_1280.jpg)
