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Noctiluca algae is a parasite and occurs in patches or blooms in northern Arabian Sea.
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Its bioluminescence characteristic i.e. glow in dark has earned it name ‘sea sparkle’.
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The algae compete with fish for food and choke their supply.
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It devours one of most important planktonic organisms at base of fish-food chain, namely diatoms.
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It also excretes large amounts of ammonia, which causes massive fish mortality.
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Scientists have found that global warming is driving proliferation of Noctiluca algae (commonly known as sea tinkle), a harmful algae in Arabian Sea responsible for glowing of Mumbai’s beaches in dark.
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Impact of this Algae:
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Warming of oceans due to global is increasing temperature differences among layers of sea water.
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This temperature differences has slowed the upward transport of nutrients like silicate from ocean bottom, lowering its concentration at surface.
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Diatoms growing in surface water which need both sunlight and silicate to build their glass skeletons, fail to thrive when silicate is in short supply.
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On other hand, Noctiluca algae remain unaffected by these changes and prey on remaining diatoms.
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Thus, the study shows that intensifying global warming conditions will disrupt fish-food chain and cause decline of fisheries in the region.