Re: Glowing White-Caps on Waves at Night

The glow is definitely not phosphorous! It is caused by bioluminescence. You can find this information in a general microbiology textbook that was published in the last 10 years. For example, some of the material from Brock's Biology of Microorganisms, 8th edition (1997) by Madigan, Martinko, and Parker includes the following:

Most luminscent bacteria have been classified in the genus Photobacterium. Some Vibrios are also luminescent. These are all gram-negative, motile rods.

You have had experience with Photobacteria that live in association with single-cell marine algae called dinoflagellates. When you disrupt the water (or when waves break), a reaction takes place in these bacteria. The reaction requires an enzyme called luciferase to take place.

Another very interesting case where luminescent bacteria are found is in the flashlight fish. This fish has an organ called a light organ that houses Photobacterium fisherii (now called Vibrio fischerii). When the bacteria reach a dense enough population, they turn on luminescence. This feature offers the flashlight fish a competitive advantage bying allowing it to find food at night or communicate with other members of the same species. Incidentally, it is thought that the placement and shape of the organ make it look like the light of the moon to other fish. Enjoy!