Bioluminescence in the deep sea
The ability to produce light is widespread in marine organisms, but nowhere is it more prominent than in the twilight regions of the midwater zone. In fact, at depths between 500 and 1,500 meters, it is more surprising to find an organism that is not bioluminescent than one that is. In the sea, luminescence occurs in everything from single-celled radiolarians and bacteria to urochordates and fish. It has evolved independently many times, and this convergence indicates that light-production must convey a strong selective advantage to a variety of organisms. Despite its widespread occurrence, many fundamental questions have not been completely answered:
These questions and more will be addressed in the context of current and future research. For more information about bioluminescence, see http://lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/ Next: Seasonal intrusions of equatorial waters in Monterey Bay Last updated: December 19, 2000 |
