See sparkle? It's sea sparkle. 🌊 Sea sparkle (Noctiluca scintillans) is a bioluminescent algae. Bioluminescence is the ability of living organisms to use a chemical reaction to make their own light. Noctiluca scintillans blooms are caused when it multiplies in large numbers, lighting up the surface of the sea at night. The blooms light up when the water moves, possibly using bioluminescence to deter predators. Our algae scientist Anusuya Willis says in the daylight, it could look red or pinkish