<h1 class="ql-align-center"><strong style="color: rgb(230, 0, 0);">Bioluminescence</strong></h1><p class="ql-align-center"><br></p><h3><strong>Context</strong>&nbsp;</h3><ul><li class="ql-indent-1">A stretch of the<strong> beach at Bheemili near Visakhapatnam glows due to bioluminescence.</strong></li></ul><h3><strong>About&nbsp;</strong></h3><ul><li class="ql-indent-1">Bioluminescence occurs due to the <strong>presence of some marine planktons called dinoflagellates that produce light when the water is disturbed.</strong></li><li class="ql-indent-1">These planktons emit light on the ocean surface at night.</li><li class="ql-indent-2">It is best experienced during a moonless night.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">Many marine creatures like sponges, jellyfish, worms, species of fish, arthropods, echinoderms and unicellular alga exhibit bioluminescence to either evade predators, attract prey or during mating.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">In Visakhapatnam, this <strong>phenomenon is most likely the result of an algal bloom of the dinoflagellate species of noctiluca and ceratium.</strong></li><li class="ql-indent-1">This occurs when the<strong> luciferase enzyme reacts with the luciferin compound</strong> in the presence of oxygen to produce a cold light.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">This is widespread in lagoons and sometimes breakwaters and is particularly visible during warm weather conditions.</li></ul><h3><strong>Planktons</strong></h3><ul><li class="ql-indent-1">Plankton are a group of marine and freshwater organisms that drift along ocean currents because they are too small or weak to swim against them.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">Their name comes from the Greek word planktos which means “wandering.”</li><li class="ql-indent-1">They range in size from 2 micrometers to more than 20 centimeters.</li><li class="ql-indent-1">There are two types of plankton: <strong>phytoplankton, which are tiny plants, and zooplankton, which are tiny animals.</strong></li></ul><p><br></p><h1 class="ql-align-center">PRELIMS NOTES:<a href="https://www.sunyaias.com/subscription-details/prelims-2023-sunya-notes-current-affairs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 204);">CLICK HERE</a></h1><p class="ql-align-center"><br></p>