4. Glowing waves: Pinpricks of light on the Maldives shores seem to mirror stars.
The beautiful glowing waves are the product of marine microbes called phytoplankton—and now scientists think they know how some of these life-forms create their brilliant blue glow.
Various species of phytoplankton are known to bioluminesce, and their lights can be seen in oceans all around the world.
The most common type of marine bioluminescence is generated by phytoplankton known as dinoflagellates. A special channel in the dinoflagellate cell membrane responds to electrical signals—offering a potential mechanism for how the algae create their unique illumination.