Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. The discovery of bioluminescent sand on a San Diego beach ...

Alexandra Gillespie is a freelance journalist who covers scuba diving, underwater wildlife, and travel. Her work has appeared in media outlets including Outside, National Geographic, Scuba Diving, and ...

You may have seen pictures of blue, glowing beaches under a dark sky. This glow is called bioluminescence. It is emitted by tiny organisms called bioluminescent algae that live in the water.

Bioluminescence is one of those natural phenomena that you simply have to see to believe. The idea of shores glowing with a glittering, blue-green light sounds like something out of a fever dream, but ...