What is Blue Tide?

Blue Tide

The tide that produces a fluorescent blue hue (bioluminescence) appeared on the Juhu beach in Mumbai and Devgad beach in Sindhudurg along Maharashtra’s coastline recently.

  • Bioluminescence is a natural phenomenon, characterized by the emission of light produced by phytoplankton's (microscopic marine plants), commonly known as dinoflagellates. The light is produced through a series of chemical reactions due to luciferase (oxidative enzymes) protein.

    • A bioluminescent dinoflagellate can make a flash of light inside its cell when disturbed. In the case of dinoflagellates, this luciferin has a structure very similar to that of chlorophyll.

    • The dinoflagellates are single-celled eukaryotes constituting the phylum Dinoflagellata. Usually considered algae, dinoflagellates are mostly marine plankton.

      • Some of the brightest kinds of dinoflagellates leading to visible blooms are Noctiluca and Protoperidinium, which can eat other microorganisms, and Lingulodinium (Gonyaulax) or Pyrocystis (a tropical genus), which can photosynthesize.

  • Cause: Marine scientists said one of the main factors for its occurrence could be eutrophication. It leads to the reduction of oxygen in the water, which makes the phytoplanktons very dominant.

    • Eutrophication is characterized by excessive plant and algal growth due to the increased availability of one or more limiting growth factors needed for photosynthesis.

  • Concern: Bioluminescence has been an annual occurrence along the west coast since 2016 during the months of November and December. 

    • This is a recurring phenomenon which is caused by a bioluminescent plankton called Noctiluca scintillans, commonly known as sea sparkle. While smaller blooms may be harmless, slow moving larger blooms may cause severe hypoxic conditions that result in fish die-offs in an area.

  • Similar phenomenon: Similar to the blue tide, there exists another such phenomenon called red tide or harmful algal blooms that emit red light. It is a rare occurrence caused when colonies of algae (simple plants that live in the sea and freshwater) grow out of control while producing toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds.

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