How do marine bacteria create bioluminescent displays visible from space?

The answer

Marine bioluminescent bacteria, primarily Vibrio harveyi and Aliivibrio fischeri, communicate through quorum sensing - releasing signaling molecules that trigger light production only when bacterial density reaches a critical threshold. The most spectacular manifestation is milky seas: vast areas of sustained ocean glow lasting days or weeks. In 2005, researchers confirmed satellite detection of a milky sea event in the Indian Ocean covering approximately 15,400 square kilometers - larger than Connecticut. The bacteria colonize organic matter like algal blooms, reaching concentrations of 100 million cells per milliliter. Individual bacteria are invisibly dim, but collectively they create a continuous ethereal glow. Some scientists hypothesize the light attracts fish whose digestive tracts provide nutrients for the bacteria, though this remains debated.