Posted on 10/04/2005 4:13:25 PM PDT by anymouse
Mariners have long told of rare nighttime events in which the ocean glows intensely as far as the eye can see in all directions.
Fictionally, such a "milky sea" is encountered by the Nautilus in Jules Verne classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."
Scientists don't have a good handle what's going on. But satellite sensors have now provided the first pictures of a milky sea and given new hope to learning more about the elusive events.
The newly released images show a vast region of the Indian Ocean, about the size of Connecticut, glowing three nights in a row. The luminescence was also spotted from a ship in the area.
"The circumstances under which milky seas form is almost entirely unknown," says Steven Miller, a Naval Research Laboratory scientists who led the space-based discovery. "Even the source for the light emission is under debate."
The leading idea
Scientists suspect bioluminescent bacteria are behind the phenomenon. Such creatures produce a continuous glow, in contrast to the brief, bright flashes of light produced by "dinoflagellate" bioluminescent organims that are seen more commonly lighting up ship wakes and breaking waves.
"The problem with the bacteria hypothesis is that an extremely high concentration of bacteria must exist before they begin to produce light," Miller told LiveScience. "But what could possibly support the occurrence of such a large population?"
One idea is that the bacteria are not free-living, but instead are living off some local supporting "substrate."
Such may have been the case in the newly reported event, as the research vessel that encountered the milky sea "reported the presence of such bacteria, which were found to be living in association with an algal bloom," explained Miller, who is also with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
"So, our best working hypothesis is that we are witnessing bioluminescence produced by bacteria that are colonizing some kind of organic material present in the water," he said. "Satellite detection will hopefully allow us to target milky seas with properly equipped research vessels that will then be able to answer all these questions definitively."
The mysterious seas
The event occurred in 1995 and was finally analyzed and reported last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The mystery highlights how little scientists know about the ocean. Milky seas appear to be most prevalent in the Indian Ocean, where there are many trade routes, and near Indonesia.
"But there could be other areas we simply don't know about yet," Miller said. "In fact, we're already beginning to receive feedback from additional witnesses of milky seas. Some of these accounts occurred in regions we had not thought to look before, and we're currently working to find matches with the satellite data."
Saw this once. Pretty incredible sight.
Hey, is the USS William Jefferson Clinton in the area...?
I think you'd see the ocean boiling and bubbling if that were the case. ;-)
Ive seen photos taken from ships on the ocean. The whole wake lights up to the horizon. Pretty awesome sight.
The "milk sea" in a composite satellite image, and the region of the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia where it was spotted by the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program. Credit: Steven Miller, NRL
Secret navy weapon to illuminate the sea-floor so the silhouettes of submarines are available to determine their locations????
bttt
Monstrously giant, glowing prehistoric amphibians tunneling beneath the earth. Also responsible for global warming. See the next episode of Surface.
Why bother with mere science?
I saw this once, and immediately assumed it was bioluminescent something. I'll admit I probably though algae instead of bacteria, but it doesn't require a scientist to get to the bioluminescent part.
For the sake of clarification, I didn't see it on such a massive scale as discussed here, but I saw sporadic light on the surface of the water while sailing to Bermuda once.
Is it pollution? I guess not otherwise we`d be hearing how it is Bushs fault.
Democrats believe George Bush is behind the phenomenon...
I've experienced this on a much smaller scale when I was a teen in Florida. I forgot what they called it. Phosflourescence (sp?) We would take our 12' boats out in the evening and the wake would have a lime green light look to it.
We were stoned most of the time but It happened. I swear!! :-)
It is the mother of Nessie!:)
I was bear hunting on Afognak Island in Alaska one spring and staying on a barge in Paramanoff Bay. After a "few" beers one night I relieved myself over the edge of the barge. Suddenly, there were bright sparkles near the surface of the water all around me. The waters of the Gulf of Alaska are a little cooler than those in the Indian Ocean. Bioluminescence is probably a global phenomenon but what they are talking about here is what I saw on steroids.
First time I ever saw that and I won't ever forget it.
Hybrid children watch the sea
Pray for father, roaming free
Fearless wretch
Insanity
He watches Lurking beneath the sea
Great old one
Forbidden site
He searches
Hunter of the shadows is rising
Immortal
In madness you dwell
Crawling chaos, underground Cult has summoned, twisted sound
Out from ruins once possessed Fallen city, living death
Fearless wretch
Insanity
He watches Lurking beneath the sea
Timeless sleep
Has been upset
He awakens
Hunter of the shadows is rising
Immortal
In madness you dwell
Not dead which eternal lie Stranger eons death may die
Drain you of your sanity
Face the thing that should not be
Fearless wretch
Insanity
He watches
Lurking beneath the sea
Great old one
Forbidden site
He searches, Hunter of the shadows is rising
Immortal
In madness you dwell.
It'll stop as soon as they get those they left behind.
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