Dinoflagellates: The Animal that is also a Plant

What if every time you got hungry you could just make your own food from sunlight?  Dinoflagellates are tiny organisms that live in the ocean and can make their own food.  When sunlight and nutrients are abundant they do photosynthesis just like plants.  However, if it is dark or nutrients are scarce they will eat other organisms that live in the ocean.  But that is not the only interesting thing about these tiny critters.  They are also responsible for red tides.  There is a species off of Florida that forms large blooms along the coast that can be seen from space.  This species produces a toxin that can make it harmful to eat shellfish.  Not all red tides are bad.  Off the coast of San Diego there are dinoflagellates that glow in the dark.  When they form red tides the waves will glow blue and if you swim in them, you will too!