Noctiluca Bloom

Carol Fletcher writes:

This is the second Noctiluca bloom we have had in the last 4 weeks and while the jellyfish seem to love it, it's a bit unusual for here. We had blooms last year but not as many so close together.

LEO says:

This observation has been shared with the Southeast Tribal Shellfish Monitoring Program, and the Environmental Health Department for the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Corporation.

Noctiluca scintillans are dinoflagellate, single-celled organisms. When populations of these organisms increase, a visible layer will form across the sea surface in what is commonly called a "bloom." Although Noctiluca scintillans are typically bioluminescent, they do not glow in the waters of the eastern Pacific ocean. Blooms in the eastern Pacific appear as an orange-red color, due to the production of ammonia, which may be toxic to fish. Source: Kudela Lab Noctiluca Species Profile, University of Tasmania, Australia Noctiluca scintillans Species Profile