What Makes This Algae Glow?

On this week’s news update…

Record-Breaking Snow

Record-breaking snow hits Canada…

Kind Parrots

Parrots are found to show kindness…

Glowing Algae

And glowing algae light up the ocean!

First up…

Imagine opening the door to go to school…

And being faced with a wall of snow!

That’s what’s been happening in parts of eastern Canada…

After a powerful storm, known as a “bomb cyclone," hit the country.

bomb cyclone

A bomb cyclone is a storm that develops very quickly, due to a sudden drop in air pressure, caused by cold air colliding with warm air.

Bomb cyclones don’t always bring snow, but in St John’s, Newfoundland, 89 centimeters fell in one day.

St John's, Newfoundland

That’s how much normally falls here in the entire month of January!

Strong winds blew the snow into drifts nearly two meters high, burying doors, windows, and cars!

As the cleanup effort begins, some people have been enjoying the extreme weather!

Next up…

It’s Animal Watch.

For the first time, a study has shown birds being kind to each other.

Researchers in Germany tested pairs of gray parrots—a species that’s known to be highly intelligent.

First, they taught the birds to give metal tokens to a researcher in exchange for a snack.

Then, the researchers closed off one bird’s feeding window, and observed whether it would now pass a token to its partner—so at least the partner could get a snack.

The parrots did share their tokens—a behavior that hasn’t been observed in any other birds.

Gray parrots are endangered in the wild.

This research could help scientists understand more about how they live, and how we can protect them.

And finally…

This is NOT a science fiction film!

Jervis Bay, Australia

These are videos recorded at Jervis Bay, Australia, showing a phenomenon called bioluminescence.

bioluminescence

Bioluminescence is the production of light by living things.

In this case, a large amount of algae washed ashore, and gave off light when it was disturbed.

Bioluminescence occurs in a wide range of organisms, such as comb jellies, firefly squids, and even some fungi.

It can help organisms do things like find a mate or attract prey.

Scientists aren’t sure why this species of algae is bioluminescent.

One theory is that it’s to scare off predators.

In any case, it creates a stunning display!

That’s all for this week. We’ll see you next time.