Image courtesy of Bioluminescence 2009 Expedition, NOAA/OER. Download larger version (jpg, 1.3 MB).
This image shows a shrimp spewing bioluminescence. Most bioluminescence, or the ability of an animal to create its own light, seems to only occur when an animal is being touched, and we are still not entirely sure what the purpose of this is. We think it protects the animal in a number of ways, including blinding or startling an opponent, misleading them by detaching a glowing body part, or possibly attracting animals that eat the opponent. However, as is so often true in science, we have a long way to go before we can confirm these ideas. We also suspect that some deep-sea animals are using bioluminescence to communicate with each other, but are only certain of this in a very small number of species. There remains a lot to learn!
Want to know more about how animals in the deep produce their own light? Check out the Bioluminescence Education Theme page.
