The case in summary • Physicist Andreas Wahl has for several years been hunting for fireflies, also known as the algae Noctiluca scintillance.• A few weeks ago he and his family experienced a sensational fireflies phenomenon on Nøtterøy.• Marine biologist Per-Erik Schulze says that fireflies are common along the Skagerrak coast about autumn, but the quantities this year have been unusually large.• Seaweed can be seen as yellow foam in bays during the day, but at night it explodes in light.• The light comes from a biochemical reaction in the algae, but scientists are still unsure why the algae produce the light.• Schulze encourages people to seek out bays with little wind to experience the spectacular light show.• He is unsure how long the algae will remain on the surface. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – It’s almost a bit like a Disney cartoon where there is a trade or a magic wand that touches and everything just starts to sparkle, says Andreas Wahl. Physicist Andreas Wahl. Photo: Robert Hansen / news For several years, the physicist has been hunting for fireflies, or the algae Noctiluca scintillance, as it is actually called. A few weeks ago, he and his family experienced the startling phenomenon on Nøtterøy. – We had very high expectations, and then those expectations were only topped. Although it is not the first time Wahl has seen fire, he still thinks one thing was different this time. – I have never experienced it so strongly. That’s what I hear from people around too. Andreas Wahl filmed the magnificent moment he found fire on Nøtterøy. – Never seen as much as this year. Marine biologist, Per-Erik Schulze, works as a professional adviser in the Norwegian Nature Conservation Association. For several years, he has followed the fire from his office in Kragerø. Marine biologist, Per-Erik Schulze, believes that the reason for the large amounts of sea urchins is due to a lot of wind and bad weather, which causes the algae to penetrate into bays. Photo: Per-Erik Schulze – Algae are extremely exciting organisms that are a mixture of phytoplankton and some kind of animal, so they are very special. He says that the algae is very common along the Skagerrak coast around autumn, but it is the quantities that have been sensational this year . – We have had some researchers in Kragerø who have followed this for many decades and they have said they have never seen as much as this year, Schulze tells news. During the day, you can see the algae floating in bays as a kind of yellow foam, but if you go to the same place at night, it explodes in light. Several have reacted to the yellow foam that has been observed in several bays around Vestfold. Photo: Per-Erik Schulze According to Schulze, the striking light comes from a biochemical reaction in the algae. – They can conserve sunlight until nightfall and then light up on their own, also called bioluminescence. But even if scientists know how the algae produce the light, they are still unsure why. – There can be something about hiding or scaring, there are different reasons for having that type of light. – No need for Netflix when you have heartburn. Despite large amounts of fire in recent weeks, Schulze is unsure how long the algae will remain on the surface. He encourages locals who want to experience the spectacular light show to seek out bays with little wind. – It’s a real show, you don’t need Netflix if you can go out and play with firewood.
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