BioluminescenceLife-light

http://unusualseacreatures.blogspot.com/2010/07/anglerfish-anglerfish-is-deep-sea-fish.html

What is Bioluminescence

• When an organism emits light from its body– It can be voluntary (on purpose)– Or involuntary (not on purpose)

Some organisms that produce bioluminescence…..

Fireflies

http://beneficialbugs.org/bugs/Firefly/boreal_firefly.htm

Squid!!!

http://seavenger.info/firefly-squid/

Jellyfish

http://www.flickr.com/photos/niallkennedy/4024671197/

Mushrooms!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gusveitch/4407003347/

Many Deep-sea Critters

http://unusualseacreatures.blogspot.com/2010/07/anglerfish-anglerfish-is-deep-sea-fish.html

http://deerdonna.blogspot.com/2011/07/bioluminescent-deep-ocean-creatures.html

Bacteria and Phytoplankton

http://www.flickr.com/photos/msauder/206368807/

Dinoflagellates (Plankton)

http://www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/organism/photo.html

Why use bioluminescence?

• Warning to predators• Camouflage• Navigation• Communication

– Finding mates• Attract prey

– Angler fish

Camouflage• Cookiecutter shark - Counterillumination. As this shark

rises closer to the surface, it lights its underside so a predator looking up from beneath does not see its full silhouette. The shark “disappears”.

http://www.sciencenews.org/sn_arc98/8_1_98/fob5.htm

Widder

Attracting Mates

• Atlantic midshipman

http://public.gettysburg.edu

Communication

Attract Prey

http://unusualseacreatures.blogspot.com/2010/07/anglerfish-anglerfish-is-deep-sea-fish.html ; http://www.sciencenews.org/sn_arc98/8_1_98/fob5.htm

• Angler fish---the lighted lure attracts prey.

• Cookiecutter shark-Since only a small part of its body is easily visible, it looks like a smaller animal—attracting something that thinks it is going to get a meal, but instead becomes a meal for the much larger shark.

Widder

Bioluminescence and Pollution?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/20/science/a-pollution-fight-powered-by-bioluminescent-sea-creatures.html?_r=0

Why did the plankton glow?

Open your CWW Journals to pages 26 – 30 so we can talk about it!

http://www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/chem/