One of the most common phytoplankton that cause marine bioluminescence are known as dinoflagellates. As dinoflagellates float, movement in the surrounding water sends electrical impulses around a proton-filled compartment inside them. The electrical pulses open the voltage-sensitive proton ion channels into scintillons (the flashing unit inside dinoflagellates). Proteins that flow into the scintillon, while the pH in the cytoplasm changes, creates a series of chemical reactions which activate a protein called luciferase. Luciferase together with luciferin are combined in scintillons and when oxygen joins them, the neon blue light is created.