Fireworks light up over Victoria Harbour to celebrate the 75th anniversary of China's National Day, in Hong Kong, China on October 1, 2024. (Photo by Lam Yik/Reuters)
People take pictures with public art instalation titled “GIANTS: Rising Up” by the French artist JR, at Harbour City, Hong Kong, China on March 16, 2023. (Photo by Lam Yik/Reuters)
While vacationing on the Maldives Islands, Taiwanese amateur photographer Will Ho stumbled onto an incredible stretch of beach covered in millions of bioluminescent phytoplankton. These tiny organisms glow similarly to fireflies and tend to emit light when stressed, such as when waves crash or when they are otherwise agitated. While the phenomenon and its chemical mechanisms have been known for some time, biologists have only recently began to understand the reasons behind it. Photo: Bioluminescent phytoplankton washes up on Maldives beach. (Photo by Will Ho)