u/GregFromThatVideo

There's been a species of glowing marine worm in Colorado Lagoon for years. Odontosyllis phosphorea.

A photographer with a big social media following started posting about it recently and now there's a lot more eyes on it.

The species is to my understanding very specific with when it breeds: on the quarter moon and the couple of days leading up. The breeding is when the glowing happens.

This year, locals who live around the lagoon have told me they're seeing the worms early. I'm also finding out from the photographer guy's socials that they're breeding when they 'shouldn't be.' In terms of the moon phase. For example they were putting on their glowing breeding display tonight and last night. This isn't instead of the predicted dates. It's in addition to them.

I emailed Scripps about it but if any local marine bio professors see this it might be looking into whether this behavior is truly unusual and what might be causing it. Could be especially fun for a small team of undergrad students to show up there every night (maybe rotating who goes each time) to do an observational study. Easy poster presentation for a conference.

Meta Verified support was no help.

Has this happened to anyone else? I post a lot of reels with the understanding that people can sort by 'most viewed' to see the best ones. But now they can't.