Rebecca Shipe for LA Times—Southern California’s bioluminescent waves are back. It may not be too late to see the electric blue nights

UCLA IoES professor Rebecca Shipe discusses the recent bioluminescent waves along Southern California’s coast for Los Angeles Times, sharing how a massive algae bloom has created dazzling displays of electric blue light. “The bioluminescent dinoflagellate … has had the right conditions of nutrients and sunlight in nearshore waters, to grow to extremely high concentrations,” Shipe said. She observed that samples showed 5 to 20 million cells per liter of seawater, a stark contrast to the usual 30,000 cells.

Shipe encouraged Angelenos to witness the rare and magical phenomenon, emphasizing its beauty and scientific significance. While unpredictable, this red tide event highlights the intricate balance of marine ecosystems and their susceptibility to environmental changes.

Read the full LA Times article here.