Natural Phenomenon -- the red tide
"No phenomenon is a phenomenon until it is an observed phenomenon" Niels Bohr.
A "red tide" off the coast of La Jolla, California.
"Red tide is an estuarine or marine algal bloom [a relatively rapid increase in the population of (usually) phytoplankton algae in an aquatic system] and is caused by a species of dinoflagellates, often present in sufficient numbers (thousands or millions of cells per milliliter) to turn the water red or brown. Coastal water pollution produced by humans and systematic increase in sea water temperature appear to be causal factors in red tides. On the Pacific Coast of the U.S. there have been apparent increases in the occurrence of red tides since about 1991. These increases are correlated with a marine temperature rise of about one degree Celsius, and also with increased nutrient loading into ocean waters. Additionally, red tide can assume its dormant form if the water cools to a sufficient degree. When it does this it forms cysts which drop to the ocean floor and rebloom if the right conditions occur."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_tide)
things -- the phytoplankton algae.
frameworks -- the thousands or millions of phytoplankton cells that come together.
clockworks -- water pollution and a decrease water temperature cause this event to happen. it can come and go whenver these situations are present.
another interesting part of this phenomenon that caught my eye is the bioluminescent phytoplankton aspect.
bioluminescent phytoplankton
"Image of bioluminescent red tide event of 2005 at a beach in Carlsbad California showing brilliantly glowing crashing waves containing billions of Lingulodinium polyedrum dinoflagellates. The phenomenon is thought to have something to do with quorum sensing." (quorum sensing is the ability of bacteria to communicate and coordinate behavior via signaling molecules.)