In Deep Waters, Corals Glow to Grow

CORALS’ ABILITY TO GLOW WITH FLUORESCENT LIGHT has been known for some time. The understanding with shallow water corals has been that fluorescent proteins absorb harmful ultraviolet rays, protecting the zooxanthellae algae that provide them with significant nutrition through photosynthesis (See “Corals’ Colors Are More Than Just Eye Candy”). IN DEEP WATERS, A DIFFERENT STRATEGY Now scientists have found that corals in deep waters, which receive very little solar energy, use different colors for a

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Under the Sea, Most Animals Shine On

BIOLUMINESCENCE AMONG ANIMALS IN THE SEA is generally seen as an exotic phenomenon found only in selected creatures like squids and deep sea anglerfishes. But a study by scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute has found that three-quarters of marine animals generate their own light. ACROSS THE BOARD  And bioluminescence wasn’t limited to just fishes and squids. It was found in animals as diverse as sea jellies, worms, snails and krill and shrimps.

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