Invasion of the Dinoflagellates!
I answered nature’s call this morning before sunrise and got a surprise when I flushed – the water glowed! Marine heads flush into holding tanks using water from the ocean, or in my case the Chesapeake Bay. When I pumped the handle the water entering the bowl lit up like a Christmas tree. I tried to photograph my glowing bowl, but alas the glow was too faint to be recorded by my camera. After doing a little research I discovered the culprit was the bioluminescent microorganism Noctiluca (latin “Night Light”) scintillans unica, which is native to our waters.
Location: Onboard Sérénité, Annapolis, Maryland, United States, North America
Altitude: 0.25 m