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Why Do Some Beaches Glow at Night?

Some beaches light up at night because of tiny glowing creatures in the water. Imagine you're playing with little glowing toys in a pool, when you stir them around, they start to shine more and more. That’s what happens on these magical beaches: the sand has lots of tiny plankton that glow when the waves or people walking on the beach disturb them.

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Examples

  1. Walking through the water at night causes little glowing dots to rise up around your feet like you're dancing with stars.
  2. When waves hit the shore, they create a shimmering glow on the sand like liquid light.
  3. A group of kids running into the ocean at night leaves behind a trail that glows for minutes.

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Categories: Environment · bioluminescence· marine biology· oceanography