Glow of the Black Sea and Azov Sea in Crimea. “... The whole sea is burning with lights. Blue gems play on the crests of small, slightly lapping waves. In those places where the oars touch the water, deep shiny stripes light up with a magical brilliance. I touch the water with my hand, and when I take it back out, a handful of glowing diamonds falls down, and gentle, bluish, phosphoric lights burn for a long time on my fingers. Today is one of those magical nights, about which the fishermen say: “The sea is burning!” ”(AI Kuprin.) All those who like night swimming in the sea know what the classic speaks so poetically and subtly. It's about the night glow of the sea. This magic of nature usually occurs from July to the end of September, during the summer-autumn plankton development. In our latitudes, this phenomenon can be observed in the Black and Azov seas. In August, the Sea of Azov glows very brightly. Those who are fortunate enough to accidentally and unexpectedly witness this miracle, perceive it as the magic of nature. Those who have heard or read about this, put themselves on a note that this incredible phenomenon must be seen with your own eyes. The glow of the sea was observed for a long time and the explanation for this phenomenon was not given immediately. The paths taken by scientists are interesting before they were able to correctly explain the essence of the glow of the sea, which for centuries remained one of the mysterious phenomena of the universe. Various assumptions have been made. It was believed that this is due to the phosphorus content in the water or the electrical charges that arise from the friction of salt and water molecules. Others believed that the glow arises from the friction of sea waves against the atmosphere or some solid body (boat, rock, coastal pebble). It was even assumed that at night the sea returns the energy of the Sun accumulated during the day. Franklin came closest to the truth. He believed that the glow of the sea is an electrical phenomenon. And only in 1753, they found an explanation for this phenomenon - the naturalist Becker saw under a magnifying glass tiny unicellular organisms, two-millimeter in size, which responded to any irritation with a glow. The phenomenon itself was called "bioluminescence", which literally means "weak living glow", or "cold" light, because it does not appear from a heated source, but as a result of a chemical reaction with oxygen. This is the natural glow of a large mass of marine organisms that have luminescent (glowing) cells. Many living organisms glow in the sea - from tiny bacteria invisible to the eye to huge fish. But the principle of the glow is similar for everyone, it is akin to the glow of the firefly night beetles, which we wonder and admire on warm summer nights. Substance - luciferin (light carrier - Greek) is oxidized by oxygen under the action of the enzyme luciferase and quanta of green light are burst out.
Night swimming is unusually pleasant, which made the Crimean velvet season famous: stably in August - September, sea water near Alushta, Sudak, Evpatoria, Koktebel and other shallow resorts, as well as on the entire coast of the Sea of Azov, phosphoresizes at night. When the water temperature is over 24 degrees, the microscopic algae Noktyluka (night light) emits a fashionable club luminescent light with any movement in the water. If you are swimming or just walking in water, fantastic glowing halos form around your body. In the 2016 season, the temperature over 24 degrees was established already in the 20th of June! Don't miss the night swim, which you won't see in the pool. And in the sea or ocean of tropical resorts, night swimming is simply prohibited due to the danger of sharks and all kinds of poisonous sea reptiles.
The glow of the sea and its causes
prof. A.P. SadchikovThere is a legend in Crimea, according to which in ancient times the Greeks decided to conquer this rich and fertile land. Many ships appeared off the coast of Taurida, in which there were armed soldiers. They wanted to approach the coast under cover of night and quietly attack the sleeping inhabitants. However, the sea was outraged by this deceit. It lit up with a blue flame, and the inhabitants saw the aliens.
The Greek ships sailed like silver. The oars splashed the water, and the splashes twinkled like stars in the sky. Even the foam off the coast gleamed with a blue, dead light. The attack was repulsed, and the ships retreated in disarray. This is a legend. However, in any legend, fiction is combined with a very real event.
I am not a historian and it is difficult for me to judge the attacks of the Greeks on the inhabitants of the Crimea in those distant times. But the glow of the sea is an understandable fact. This phenomenon can still be observed in the summer in the Black Sea. And in warmer seas, the glow is so strong that from a distance it seems like the glow of a large fire. You can watch for hours how a wave running on the shore flares up with bright sparks. The trail left by the ship in the sea at night is just as beautiful - the water glows with a phosphoric, but quite distinct light.
This is what the famous Charles Darwin writes about this in his book Voyage on the Beagle. “… A fresh wind was blowing, and the entire surface of the sea, which was completely covered with foam during the day, was now shining with a faint light. The ship drove two waves in front of it, as if from liquid phosphorus, and a milky light stretched in the wake. As far as the eye could see, the crest of each wave was shining, and the sky near the horizon, reflecting the sparkling of these bluish lights, was not as dark as the sky above.
The Russian writer Ivan Goncharov in his novel "Frigate Pallas" describes the glow of the sea as follows: “... Water shines at night with an unbearable phosphoric brilliance. Yesterday the light was so strong that flames burst from under the ship; even on the sails the glow was reflected, a wide fiery street spreads behind the stern; all around it is dark ... ".
Konstantin Paustovsky in his work "Black Sea" about the glow of the sea writes: "The sea has turned into an unfamiliar starry sky, thrown at our feet. Myriads of stars, hundreds of Milky Paths floated underwater. They then sank, dying out, to the very bottom, then flared up, floating up to the surface of the water. The eye distinguished two lights: motionless, slowly swaying in the water, and the other light - all in motion, cutting through the water in rapid violet flashes…. We were present at one of the greatest apparitions at sea. "
Nicely written, isn't it?
People have long paid attention to this property of sea water, but for a long time they could not understand its cause. For centuries, this phenomenon has been considered one of the greatest mysteries of the ocean.
It was assumed that the glow of seawater is associated with the physical properties of water and the salt dissolved in it. According to another version, the sea accumulates sunlight during the day and emits it at night. The third hypothesis explained this effect due to the friction of waves against the atmosphere or solid objects (ships, rocks). They all turned out to be wrong.
For the first time, the nature of the glow of the sea was unraveled by the Russian navigator, Admiral Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern (1770-1846). He headed the first Russian round-the-world expedition in 1803-1806 on the ships "Nadezhda" and "Neva" and compiled the "Atlas of the South Sea". He suggested that the glow of the sea is caused by tiny organisms living in the water. As further studies showed, I.F. Kruzenshtern was right.
Nightlight Noctiluca scintillans is a species of colorless
dinoflagellates from the order Noctiluca.
It was later found that many marine organisms have the ability to emit light. The ability to glow has been noted in representatives of many thousands of species of animals and plants. These include some fish, including sharks, cephalopods (in particular squid), jellyfish, crustaceans, protozoa and, of course, algae. Some organisms glow so brightly that several crustaceans placed in a jar emit so much light that a person can read a newspaper. The glow serves to protect against predators, either to lure prey or to attract individuals of the opposite sex.
However, the main and main source of the sea glow is dinoflagellates - unicellular organisms with the properties of both plants and animals. Certain types of dinoflagellates contain chlorophyll (they are classified as plants), while others do not have it, and they are classified as part of the animal kingdom. In addition, many of them have so-called "tails", "flagella", which give them some freedom of movement.
Among dinoflagellates, the most numerous are peridineas. This is a large group of planktonic organisms (from the Greek "planktos" - soaring in the water column); most of the species live in warm seas and oceans.
Most peridinia have the ability to emit light, especially when worried. However, this is not the only thing they are famous for. They belong to flagellates. Scientists divide them into two groups - plant and animal. In many cases, the boundary between animal and plant peridineas is indistinguishable. This is due to the fact that some of them belong to typical plants, capable of creating organic matter from carbon dioxide and mineral salts in the light. Others, like animals, consume ready-made organic compounds. Organic compounds dissolved in water are absorbed through the cell walls, and shaped particles through a special opening (the so-called "mouth"). There is also a third group of organisms that combines the properties of algae and animals; in the light, they, like plants, create organic matter, and in the dark (at great depths where sunlight does not penetrate) they feed on ready-made organic matter.
Most people are not even aware of the existence of peridinia, they are so small. Their size does not exceed hundredths of a millimeter. Meanwhile, together with other algae, they produce 30-40% of all organic substances created on Earth. In the seas and fresh water bodies, there are sometimes so many of them that the water becomes brown. Their concentration can reach 100 thousand organisms in 1 milliliter of water. This phenomenon is called plankton bloom. For example, the name of the Red Sea is also associated with the development of microscopic algae that give the water the appropriate color. True, these algae belong to a completely different group - blue-green.
Peridineas can be of various shapes: some of them are spherical, others are equipped with long horn-like outgrowths. These outgrowths protect them from being devoured by animals, and at the same time help them to float in the water column.
What is the role of these algae in the seas and oceans? Tiny algae are the main food of the ocean inhabitants. On land, plant communities provide food for all terrestrial herbivores. In seas and oceans, microscopic algae serve as a food source for a myriad of small animals, mainly crustaceans, that feed on them. In turn, these planktonic animals are eaten by larger organisms, those by fish, and so on, until humans complete the food chain of those who eat and are eaten.
It should be noted that some peridineas are toxic. Their massive development sometimes leads to the poisoning and death of fish and seabirds. This phenomenon is called "red tide".
The second most important organism that causes the glow of the sea is the flagellate noctilica (aka the night light). Nocturnal is a single-celled protozoan and it belongs to armored flagellates. Her body is spherical, about 2-3 mm in size with a movable contractile shell. It reproduces mainly by dividing in two. The contents of the cell are filled with fatty inclusions, which, upon mechanical and chemical stimulation, are oxidized and begin to glow. Noktiluka forms accumulations in the surface layers of warm waters, where it feeds on algae, bacteria, and protozoa.
The night light begins to glow from any irritation, scaring off prospective enemies with flashes, in particular the crustaceans that feed on it. The nightlight has two flagella, with one it drives food to the mouth, and the other serves as a motor. With its help, she moves in the water column.
So, thanks to the legend, we got acquainted with amazing creatures - possessing the properties of plants and animals, and also capable of glowing from the slightest touch.
In preparing the article, state support funds were used, allocated as a grant in accordance with the order of the President of the Russian Federation dated March 29, 2013 No. 115-rp ") and on the basis of a competition held by the Knowledge Society of Russia.
the review was copied from the site http://hydro.bio.msu.ru/
Photos from sites: visualsunlimited.photoshelter.com and adorablearchana.blogspot.com
This magnificent natural phenomenon is called "bioluminescence". It exists in many places in the world near the sea or ocean, and manifests itself in different ways. Sometimes it seems that small stars twinkle under the water, at other times the special northern lights spread over the water surface delight. This spectacle is best enjoyed in March, August and September.
A bit of history
For centuries, the glow of the seas and oceans remained a mystery. According to one version, scientists attributed it to the presence of phosphorus in water and electrical discharges that occur when salt and water molecules rub against each other. According to another version, in this way, the ocean at night gives the Sun the energy that it accumulated during the day. The real answer was found in 1753 - then the naturalist Becker examined drops of sea water through a magnifying glass. His magnifying glass spotted tiny, unicellular organisms, about 2 mm in diameter. Interestingly, they reacted to any mechanical or chemical irritation with flashes of light. These "water fireflies" were called night lights. Now the fact that it is phytoplankton that is responsible for the "illumination" of the night sea or ocean during the period of its mass reproduction is already indisputable.
The sparkling squid Watasenia scintillans live here. At the beginning of spring, they have a breeding season every year, and then thousands of fry rise to the water surface in search of a partner (or better a few). The bright blue light helps the squid attract a mate for mating, and gives tourists an unforgettable and truly fabulous sight.
Amazing lights have been recorded on the Vaadhoo Islands as well. Thanks to bioluminescent dinoflagellates, it seems that the local coast is completely drowned in the starry sky.
In San Diego, the "water glow" does not occur every year. To be honest, scientists still don't know how to predict when they will occur. But if this event does occur, it is as if, with a wave of a magic wand, some invisible wizard paints the sea surface with blue phosphoric colors. If you are lucky enough to visit the local beaches, be sure to visit them at night. Who knows, what if you are lucky enough to plunge into a fairy tale for a moment?
Once upon a time, strange "blue tears" were seen on the local waters, which caused a great commotion around Mazu. Scientists from the National Taiwan Ocean University spent a full four months of research, taking water samples daily. As a result, they found the culprit of the mysterious glow - it was the aforementioned "night light". Research is still ongoing to find other organisms that make their "shimmering contribution" to the blue waters of the ocean.
Warm summer months in Navarra Beach are especially popular. Still would! After all, tourists are offered a very unconventional entertainment - a night kayak adventure and we think you already guessed what it is special about?
Much has been written about rest on the Sea of Azov, its advantages and disadvantages are described in detail ...
However, there is surprisingly little on the network about this sea of information, except for those addressed to specialists. And this despite the fact that the Sea of Azov is in many ways unusual, scientists believe that it was formed as a result of a global natural disaster around 5600 BC. e., that is, already in historical times. In this article, we tried to eliminate some gaps in the knowledge of tourists who are happy to rest in the resorts of the warm and sunny Azov coast, and here we present little-known information about the Sea of Azov.
Shallow water and other "records"
The fact that the Azov Sea is the shallowest in the world is known, perhaps, to everyone. The greatest depth - 13.7 meters, is a trifle by sea standards. But few know about another "world record" belonging to him. The Sea of Azov among the inner seas of the planet is the most distant from the World Ocean. Including from the Atlantic Ocean, to the basin of which it belongs. Another "record" is the all-Russian one, this is the smallest sea of all washing the shores of our country.
Heat and ice
The temperature in the upper layers of the water in the resort areas of the coast sometimes rises to 30 degrees Celsius in summer. And in winter, bays and bays in the same zones are often covered with ice. There are cases in history when the water area of the Sea of Azov was almost completely covered with ice.
To whom the crucian carp, to whom the shark ...
Many large and small rivers flow into the Sea of Azov, bringing in millions of cubic meters of fresh water annually. And the narrow Kerch Strait cannot provide it with real, "sea" salinity, here it is three times lower than the average in the World Ocean. Low salinity leads to natural paradoxes. For example, river fish such as pike perch, crucian carp, pike are found in the Sea of Azov.
And they are here side by side with stingrays, sharks and even dolphins! True, sharks are small here, quite safe and are extremely rare off the coast.
And the waves are quiet here ...
The Azov Sea can be called the quietest in the world. The highest wave ever observed here did not exceed 4 meters. On average, the height of storm waves in the seas and oceans is 7-8 meters, waves (tsunamis) with a height of more than 30 meters are known, but such cataclysms have not been noted in the Sea of Azov.
Kerch Strait is expanding
In 1068, Gleb Svyatoslavovich, a Russian prince who ruled at that time Tmutarakan (the most distant Russian principality, at the mouth of the Kuban), measured the distance between the extreme points of the Taman and Kerch peninsulas on the ice. This was the first known attempt to measure the width of the Kerch Strait. The measurement showed the result of about 20 kilometers. Today, after 950 years, this distance has increased by three kilometers. Either the prince was wrong, or the strait has expanded over the years - there is no consensus among scientists.
It also glows!
If you are lucky and you go to rest on the Sea of Azov in August, you can witness an amazing spectacle - the night glow of the sea. The popular belief that algae is glowing is mistaken. There is even less reason to speculate about some connection between this glow and the level of radiation. Scientists call this natural phenomenon "bioluminescence", its cause is the accumulation of a large number of living microorganisms at the surface of seawater.
Clean, azure ...
Another misconception about the Sea of Azov is based on stories about some unprecedented turbidity of its water. In reality, the Azov water is very clean, the sand covering the seabed and located quite close to the sea surface is an excellent natural filter. Waves and wind can sometimes raise the sand from the bottom, and the water can get a little turbid, but the wind dies down - and the water again becomes transparent, with a beautiful azure tint.
Over the four seas
As mentioned above, the Sea of Azov is the most distant from the World Ocean. It is separated from its "native" Atlantic Ocean by as many as four "intermediate" seas - Black, Marmara, Aegean, and Mediterranean. Therefore, and also because of the narrowness of the Kerch Strait, there is never any ebb or flow here.
Deep and dear
At the bottom of the Sea of Azov, more precisely, in the bowels of the earth under its water area, and in the coastal regions, there are large oil and gas fields. Fortunately for campers and fishermen, they are not developed, and the mining process is considered too time consuming and costly.
How to see ...
The Sea of Azov, by European standards, is not so small. On its water area, two whole European states could freely settle - the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. And the total length of the sea coastline is 2,688 kilometers.
The ancient Greeks did not consider it the sea, but called the Meotian lake.
The Sea of Azov is a shallow flat water body with low coastal slopes. The water in it is muddy, and the banks are bare, low, clayey-sandy. In summer, the temperature of the upper layers of the water often warms up to 28-30 degrees. At the same time, winds blow on its coast and above the surface all year round. Sometimes they are so strong that they overtake the water ashore. Then the sea level in the coastal zone rises by several meters.
According to one theory, the Sea of Azov emerged 7,500 years ago as a result of a strong rise in the level of the Black Sea. And now the level of its waters is steadily falling. If the situation does not change, sooner or later this beautiful sea will disappear altogether.
Azov has many names. It is called the Sea of Shellfish. The ancient Slavs called him the Suroz or Blue Sea. And the modern name comes from the Arabic phrase Bahr-el-Azov or "dark blue sea". But, very often, due to the mixed sand, its waters acquire a greenish-yellow tint. At the same time, a lot of plankton live in the sea. In view of this, at night, its surface glows at all. Here are some more interesting facts about this amazing body of water on the planet:
- It is the shallowest sea in the world. Its maximum depth is only 13.5 meters. On average, the depths of Azov do not exceed 7 meters.
- The ancient Greeks did not consider it the sea, but called the Meotian lake. The Romans were in solidarity with them, calling Azov the Meotian swamp.
- The most distant sea from the ocean. Its waters are separated from the Atlantic by 4 seas: Black, Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean. This is the most continental sea on the planet.
- Its water is 3 times fresher than in other seas. It can quench your thirst. And all because of the abundant inflow of river waters into the Azov basin. In addition, near the Sea of Azov, water exchange with the Black Sea is difficult. Due to the low salinity, it freezes in winter.
- The most fishy sea in the world. Due to its low salinity, the Sea of Azov is rich in fish. There are even river species here. Its small size has turned the reservoir into a kind of fish nursery.
- The main minerals are oil and combustible gas. The Sea of Azov is rich in minerals hidden both at its bottom and under it. Gas fields line the entire coastline. The most promising oil and gas bearing horizon is the Lower Cretaceous deposits. And the most oil-bearing ones are Maikop.
- The Amazons lived on its shores. The state of Meotida was located on the coast of the Azov Sea. According to ancient Greek legends, beautiful women warriors or Amazons lived in the territory washed by the Black and Azov Seas. Almost all ancient writers write about them. For the first time, the Amazons are mentioned in the Iliad.
