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Neon blue waves at Galle Face: A sight to see but may be harmful to touch
View(s):By Tharushi Weerasinghe
Neon blue waves lit up local shorelines this week at Galle Face.
“It was a sight to behold,” said Maleesha Gunawardana who saw the waves at Galle Face on Thursday. The phenomenon she witnessed is called bioluminescence.
“Bioluminescence is a natural phenomenon where living organisms produce light using chemicals in their bodies,” said Lenin de Silva, a marine biology graduate and research team member at Pearl Protectors. 
It is usually referred to as “chemiluminescence” but since this is produced inside a living being, bioluminescence is a more reliable word.
According to him, these waves are produced by tiny planktonic marine organisms which glow stronger when they’re disturbed.
“This is common in the deep sea where sunlight can’t reach the depths and is a very old and common biological communication system on the planet.
“So though this is common, it is wise for us to take precautions because some light-producing organisms can be harmful to other organisms, including humans.”
For example, some produce toxins, so when they are in huge numbers, the toxin level also will be high. These toxins can cause various problems from skin rashes to food poisoning.
This can also be regarded as a sign of environmental changes, including pollution in oceanographic properties or global warming in a sense of a bigger picture. High nitrogen or phosphorus levels in water can cause sudden blooms of these organisms with those elements acting as nutrients. So more nutrients result in more bioluminescent organisms.
But this was concerning, Mr. Lenin noted. “What caused high levels of nutrients in marine waters and what are the side effects? We can’t account for how safe it is yet so if you go to the beach just embrace this natural phenomenon without getting yourself wet!”
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