Boat encounter with the 2019 Java bioluminescent milky sea: Views from on-deck confirm satellite detection.
other · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 35858363.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1073/pnas.2207612119 and PMC identifier 9303900.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
"Milky seas" are massive swaths of uniformly and steadily glowing ocean seen at night. The phenomenon is thought to be caused by luminous bacteria, but details of milky sea composition, structure, cause, and implications in nature remain largely uncertain. Between late July and early September 2019, specialized low-light satellite sensors detected a possible bioluminescent milky sea south of Java, Indonesia, spanning >100,000 km<sup>2</sup>. Upon learning of these findings, crew members of the yacht <i>Ganesha</i> reached out to confirm and share details of their personal encounter with this same event. Here, we document <i>Ganesha</i>'s experience as recalled by the crew, compare their course to satellite data, and assess their photography of this milky sea.
Medical subject headings
- Bacteria
- Satellite Imagery
- Seawater
- Ships