Will San Diego's tides glow blue again this year? Bioluminescent
algae caused ocean waves on the California coast to glow
brightly last year. Scientists wonder if the beautiful
phenomenon will return. Thu, Nov 01 2012 at 2:44 PM Photo: Phil
Gibbs/Flickr Last year surfers, kayakers and beach-combers in
San Diego, Calif., were greeted by a bizarre and beautiful
sight: the ocean waters were emitting a bright blue glow as the
waves crashed and the tide came in. The cause of this unusual
phenomenon was a tiny organism called Lingulodinium polyedrum.
This dinoflagellate (a type of algae) blooms every few years in
the waters around San Diego, forming what is known as a red
tide. While the algae gives the water a soupy red color during
the day, nighttime is when the show begins. Every time the algae
is jostled — either by the movement of the tides or the slice of
a kayak moving through the water — it emits a bright blue
bioluminescent glow. The breathtaking effect brought thousands
of people to San Diego last year to