BIOLUMINESCENCE

From Aristotle to Darwin, Humankind’s effort to understand bioluminescence spans thousands of years. Even though it’s one of the oldest fields of scientific study, answers remain elusive. In this episode of Untold Earth we get in the water with the bioluminescent algae of the Salish ...

Just off San Diego's shore, single-celled algae called dinoflagellates start to reproduce and if disturbed, a chemical reaction within the cell creates a tiny spark of light. When the conditions are right, the algae multiply and the coastal waters glow blue.