Hello i was wondering if anyone new what causes what i saw tonight. Myself and some friends were out at siesta key beach. The tide had been very high but was going down. it left rather large bodies of water up shore which is common. But what wasnt common was the amount of seafoam, and what it did. When you touched the seafoam it illuminated. The foam was a very bright blue-green. Also when you touched it the illumination went out from where u touched it like a shockwave. It was quite amazing and beautiful. But i have no freakin idea what it was. Ive been looking online and cant find anything about it. So if anyone can find out please let me know!

Thanks

was there any strange or strong smell present?

My guess is that you ran into a flock of luminescent dinoflagellates or bacteria. I also found this picture. Did what you saw look anything like that?

 

Airmid.

The sea is a living soup containing microorganisms that emit light when disturbed.

Fishing boats usually go out at moonless nighthours as any activity from fish schools is clearly discernible from the surface, and that glow is the one they circle with their nets to capture the fish causing the glow.

When moon rises, it's time to head to port as moonlight is enough to mask the glow.

Foam forms from lots of sea motion and the glow shows brighter in it.

Miguel

This also happens in the wake of larger boats. You can follow an algae trail for 5 miles to an aircraft carrier.

I came accross a similar effect while night fishing with rod and line in fresh water. The surface of the water did not glow, but my line, in the air and on the reel, glowed like the hands and dial of a luminous watch. The sight of this long glowing filament waving about in the dark was rather beautiful. Dont remember the state of the moon, but the night was not pitch-dark. A fish disturbing the surface of the water did not make the surface glow. I wiped the line with a cloth, and the cloth glowed for a while.