A surfer catches a wave lit up by bioluminescent plankton. Photo: Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego
UC San Diego surfers are catching glowing waves near La Jolla lately thanks to a bloom of bioluminescent plankton that are putting on a nighttime light show.
Driving the news: The UCSD surf team and club went out to Torrey Pines State Beach last week, where the bioluminescence was visible from shore.
Yes, but: The natural phenomenon draws people to San Diego beaches at night, but it can also cause mass mortality among fish and other marine life by creating low or excess oxygen and unstable pH levels.
