Sea Sparkle: The blue glow that’s lighting up Hong Kong’s water

THE glow might look beautiful at first, but these fluorescent blue patches of water have an ugly and potentially toxic side.

Water isn’t supposed to look like this

IT IS the glow which might look beautiful at first appearance.

And while these fluorescent blue patches of water glimmering off Hong Kong’s seashore might appear to be magnificent, they are also disturbing and potentially toxic, according to marine biologists.

The glow is an indicator of a harmful algal bloom created by something called Noctiluca scintillans, nicknamed Sea Sparkle.

It looks like algae and can act like algae. But it’s not quite.

It is a single-celled organism that technically can function as both animal and plant.

These type blooms are triggered by farm pollution that can be devastating to marine life and local fisheries, according to University of Georgia oceanographer Samantha Joye, who was shown pictures of the glowing water.

“Those pictures are magnificent. It’s just extremely unfortunate that the mysterious and majestic blue hue is created by a Noctiluca,” Joye said.

This is part of a problem that is growing worldwide, said Joye and other scientists.

Noctiluca is a type of single-cell life that eats plankton and is eaten by other species.

The plankton and Noctiluca become more abundant when nitrogen and phosphorous from farm run-off increase.

Unlike similar organisms, Noctiluca doesn’t directly produce chemicals that can attack the nervous system or parts of the body.

But recent studies show it is much more complicated and links them to blooms that have been harmful to marine life.

Noctiluca’s role as both prey and predator can eventually magnify the accumulation of algae toxins in the food chain, according to oceanographer R. Eugene Turner at Louisiana State University.

Environmental advocates told the South China Morning Post the glow seen from waters along Lung Mei, Tai Po isn’t good news and warned people to steer clear of the water.

The algae, which appears red or pink during the day, is stimulated by organic pollutants such as sewage and the blue glow is triggered when the organism is disturbed.

Originally published as Sea Sparkle: The blue glow that’s lighting up Hong Kong’s water