Bioluminescent Bays: Where Oceans Turn to Living Starlight
Bioluminescent bays—where microscopic dinoflagellates turn ocean waters into glowing galaxies—are among Earth's rarest ecosystems, found in fewer than ten locations worldwide. The phenomenon is driven by a luciferin-luciferase chemical reaction that evolved independently at least 40 times across life's tree. Mosquito Bay in Puerto Rico holds the world record for brightness, sustaining over 700,000 dinoflagellates per liter. These bays require a precise combination of shallow sheltered water, ...
