BELLINGHAM EVENTS FIELD GUIDE
Night Lights of the Salish Sea: A Virtual Deep‑Dive into Bellingham Bay’s Bioluminescence
A 60‑minute virtual recording from the Community Boating Center and WWU’s Marine and Coastal Science program that explains the glowing plankton of Bellingham Bay and the citizen‑science methods researchers use to study them.
Night Lights of the Salish Sea: A Virtual Deep‑Dive into Bellingham Bay’s Bioluminescence.
This program pairs the Community Boating Center with Western Washington University’s Marine and Coastal Science program to examine summer bioluminescence in Bellingham Bay. MACS capstone student Lucy Greeley leads research to identify which planktonic communities generate the glow, and guests connected to CBC’s bioluminescence excursions can take part in citizen science—performing plankton tows, collecting light samples and practicing species identification under a video microscope—so researchers can correlate bright events with DNA results.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Capstone research in action
Lucy Greeley’s capstone project aims to determine which planktonic communities drive bioluminescence in Bellingham Bay, including DNA analysis of samples from especially bright nights to check for luciferase enzymes and luciferin substrates.
Hands‑on citizen science
Guests of the Community Boating Center’s bioluminescence excursions are invited to complete plankton tows, collect light samples and practice identifying glowing species using a video microscope—participation that feeds into ongoing research.
How plankton make the bay sparkle
Bioluminescence is produced by a chemical reaction—commonly the enzyme luciferase acting on the substrate luciferin in oxygenated water—and while noctiluca are common in the Salish Sea, they often lack luciferin and do not glow; which species do cause Bellingham’s displays is still unknown.
What the day feels like
What the lecture feels like
The 60‑minute recorded lecture frames the problem—why the Salish Sea lights up—and walks listeners through partnership research, field sampling methods and the analytical steps researchers use to tie bright nights to specific plankton species and biochemical pathways.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who gets the most from this lecture and related excursions.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
This offering is a one‑hour virtual recording that explains the research and methods; associated CBC excursions include plankton tows, collection of light samples and identification using a video microscope.
Field activities described by the program involve plankton tows and a video microscope for species identification; these are provided as part of CBC’s excursion research programming.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
How long is the lecture?
One 60‑minute virtual recording.
Who runs this program?
The Community Boating Center in partnership with Western Washington University’s Marine and Coastal Science (MACS) program.
Will I get to collect samples?
Guests of the Community Boating Center’s bioluminescence excursions can participate by completing plankton tows, collecting light samples and practicing identification with a video microscope.
Do we know which species cause the bioluminescence?
It is unknown which species cause the bright displays in Bellingham Bay; research suggests noctiluca are present in the Salish Sea but often lack the substrate luciferin and therefore do not glow.
What do researchers do with samples?
Researchers study the DNA of samples taken during especially bright bioluminescence events to determine which species are present and whether they carry luciferase enzymes and luciferin substrates.
Is this an in‑person boat trip?
The product described here is a 60‑minute virtual recording; related hands‑on sampling opportunities are part of CBC’s bioluminescence excursions.