Why Do Oceans Glow at Night?

The ocean glows at night because of tiny living creatures called plankton. When they are disturbed by waves or fish swimming through them, they light up like fireflies in the dark sea. This is like when you shake a bottle of glitter and it sparkles everywhere.

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Examples

When you swim at night, the water around your feet glows like tiny stars. Bioluminescence is caused by tiny sea creatures reacting to movement.
If you shake a bottle of seawater in the dark, it might look like it’s full of glowing bubbles. That’s because of the plankton inside.
Sometimes when waves crash on the shore at night, they light up the water like fireworks. Ocean glow makes this happen.

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Categories: Environment · bioluminescence,marine life,ocean phenomena