New research sheds light on a fascinating natural phenomenon that occurs in some areas of the oceans around the world, but it was documented for the first time by satellite observations in huge sizes.
In new research, a group of scientists reports that bioluminescence produced by some types of bacteria in the oceans can occur on scales so wide and dense that satellites orbiting five hundred miles away can clearly monitor and visualize it.
According to the study, which was published in the Scientific Reports, eight scientists reported finding a bright spot south of Java in America, which has greatly swelled.
“When one of nature’s hidden wonders appears like this, it captures your imagination,” said Stephen D. Miller, lead author of the new research specializing in the study of bioluminescence through satellite observations at Colorado State University.
The scientists noted that a close examination of images collected between 2012 and 2021 from two satellites that allowed them to monitor dozens of massive spots of lights occurred once every 8 months, the smallest of which was about 100 times larger than the city of Manhattan, according to “The New York Times.”
The scientists noted that these images open a new window on the oceans of the mysterious and enormous world, and help in studying the glowing sea world and tracing its origins well.
Scientists are using new satellite tech to find glow-in-the-dark milky seas of maritime lore https://t.co/uTDQY1CyBq pic.twitter.com/4fWkHDrnTP
— SPACE.com (@SPACEdotcom) September 4, 2021
Scientists sometimes call this phenomenon “milky seas”, and it is one of the largest known bioluminescence phenomena, and it is characterized by its very wide spread and occurrence in remote areas, which makes studying it accurately and knowing its causes almost impossible.
New satellite tech could reveal the cause of the rare milky seas – https://t.co/iZJ4AWrvCw
“The whole appearance of the ocean was like a plain covered with snow. There was scarce a cloud in the heavens, yet the sky … appeared as black as if a storm was raging. The scene w…
— Techosmo (@techosmo) August 29, 2021
Scientists expect that this phenomenon is caused by a type of marine bioluminescent bacteria (Vibrio harveyi), which causes some diseases in many marine creatures, but researchers have not yet confirmed the validity of their conclusions due to the difficulty of studying this phenomenon.