Top 10 Most Incredible Natural Phenomena Around The World

5. Bioluminescence

Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. It is a form of chemiluminescence. Bioluminescence occurs widely in marine vertebrates and invertebrates, as well as in some fungi, microorganisms including some bioluminescent bacteria and terrestrial invertebrates such as fireflies. In some animals, the light is produced by symbiotic organisms such as Vibrio bacteria. Bioluminescence occurs widely among animals, especially in the open sea, including fish, jellyfish, comb jellies,crustaceans, and cephalopod molluscs; in some fungi and bacteria; and in various terrestrial invertebrates including insects.

Many, perhaps most deep-sea animals produce light. Most marine light-emission is in the blue and green light spectrum. The most frequently encountered bioluminescent organisms may be the dinoflagellates present in the surface layers of the sea, which are responsible for the sparkling phosphorescence sometimes seen at night in disturbed water. At least eighteen genera exhibit luminosity. A different effect is the thousands of square miles of the ocean which shine with the light produced by bioluminescent bacteria, known as mareel or the milky seas effect.