Red Tide

When conditions are just right, a red tide can bloom off the coast of Southern California. The red tide is actually an algal bloom of dinoflagellates, tiny zooplankton whose population rapidly grows and voraciously consumes available oxygen and nutrients. By day, when viewed from the beach, the waters along the coast are a muddy red hue; from the air, the entire coast looks like it was dyed red. By night, however, depending on the dominant species in the bloom, the turbulence created by waves crashing - as well as fish, surfers, and dolphins swimming - cause the dinoflagellates to fluoresce a neon blue. In aggregate, these microscopic creatures create one of nature's most spectacular displays of bioluminescence.