Bioluminescence
Bioluminescence, or the ability of an organism to create light, is one of nature’s most amazing phenomena, seemingly drawn more from science fiction than science and natural history. While only a few land dwellers, like fireflies and some fungi, can make their own light, bioluminescence is very common in the deep sea. Bacteria, jellyfish, starfish, clams, worms, crustaceans, squid, fish, and sharks are just some of the groups of marine animals that have bioluminescent members.
All bioluminescent organisms use a reaction between an enzyme and a substrate to make light, but different species use different chemicals in the process. This suggests that the ability to make light evolved many times throughout the ages. In fact, it is estimated that luminescence has evolved independently at least 40 times…
(read more: NOAA Ocean Explorer)
(Image courtesy of Islands in the Sea 2002, NOAA/OER)
