Complex luminescence displays of the Caribbean Sea Firefly

An hour after sunset for two weeks after the full moon, shallow Caribbean waters light up for a short time with arguably the most complex luminescent communication displays known in marine habitats. These displays are created by tiny crustaceans known as ostracods, colloquially known as ‘sea fireflies’, although they exhibit markedly different behaviors than their terrestrial namesake. Luminescent ostracods are found in every world ocean, yet complex signaling behavior has only been observed in the Caribbean, where we estimate their species diversity to be in the hundreds. Since their scientific discovery in the early 1980s a collaborative group of researchers has made many inroads regarding their behavior, life history strategies, biochemistry, and evolution. In this seminar I will provide a summary of where ostracod research stands today and outline some of the future avenues for study.