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Light made by living things is not a rarity in the ocean. Most kinds of animals there, from bacteria to sharks, include some members that can glow. On land the familiar example is the firefly; in the sea, bioluminescent creatures turn up everywhere from the surface to the deep seafloor.
From NOAA's Islands in the Sea expedition. Credit: NOAA/OER.
How a living thing makes light
Bioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. The light comes from energy released by chemical reactions — reactions that take place inside the organism, or in material it ejects into the water.
What the light is for
Scientists do not know what bioluminescence does for every animal that has it. But for the ones they understand, the light usually does one of three jobs:
| Purpose | What the light does |
|---|---|
| Defense | warns off predators, or helps an animal escape them |
| Hunting | lures prey closer, or helps find it |
| Communication | signals to other members of the same species |
Sources
Based on "What is bioluminescence?" from NOAA's National Ocean Service, a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Licens: CC0 1.0 (offentligt eje) · Bearbejdet efter oceanservice.noaa.gov
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