Picture of the Day: When Bioluminescence Meets the Cosmos

 

Photographer Fefo Bouvier captured this incredible night time photo of bioluminescent plankton illuminating the water as the Milky Way Galaxy shines above. The photo, which was recently highlighted as NASA’s Earth Picture of the Day, was taken in the Atlantic Ocean at Barra de Valizas, Uruguay where some of the darkest skies in the world can be found.

The photo was taken this past June with an exposure time of 15 seconds. Responsible for the blue glow is Noctiluca scintillans, commonly known as Sea Sparkle. They are a free-living non-parasitic marine-dwelling species of dinoflagellate that exhibit bioluminescence when disturbed.

If you’re interested in prints, they are available through Bouvier’s website.