Bioluminescent Sea Kayaking

What is bioluminescence?

the natural production of light by a living organism through a chemical reaction inside its body

Is bioluminescence cold or hot light

cold

How many times has bioluminescence evolved?

over 90

How has bioluminescence evolved?

independently (making it one of natures most remarkable adaptations)

What environments is bioluminescence found in?

marine and terrestrial

What % of bioluminescent organisms live in the ocean?

80%

Where all does bioluminescence occur in New Zealand?

oceans, forests, and underground

bio

life

lumine

light

escence

process

Other types of luminescence

bioluminescence, fluorescence, phosphorescence, chemiluminescence

fluorescence

A substance absorbs ultraviolet (UV) light and immediately re-emits it as visible light. It only glows while UV light is present.

examples of fluorescence

some corals and reef fish

phosphorescence

Similar to fluorescence but continues glowing for a short time after the light source is removed.

examples of phosphorescence

glow in the dark paint and some minerals

Chemiluminescence

Light produced from a chemical reaction without a living organism.

Examples of Chemiluminescence

glow sticks

What are dinoflagellates

Dinoflagellates are tiny single-celled marine plankton

how small are dinoflagellates

microscopic

How many species of dinoflagellates are there?

over 2000 (some are bioluminescent)

What is one of the oceans primary producers?

dinoflagellates

What do dinoflagellates do with sunlight?

convert sunlight into energy through photosynthesis

What is inside each dinoflagellate cell?

tiny structures called scintillons, which contain the chemical luciferin and the enzyme luciferase.

What happens when a dinoflagellate is disturbed?

a rapid change in the cell triggers oxygen to react with these chemicals (scintillons, luciferin, and luciferase). This produces a brief flash of brilliant blue light

How long does a flash of blue light last?

a fraction of a second

luciferin

a light producing molecule

luciferase

an enzyme that catalyzes the reaction

oxygen

key ingredient in light emission

Why do dinoflagellates glow?

Scientists believe the main purpose is defence against predators.

burglar alarm hypothesis

When a small predator disturbs the dinoflagellates, the bright flash attracts larger predators that may eat the attacker. "the predator of my predator is my friend"

How do dinoflagellates move?

two tiny whip-like tails called flagella

How do the flagella move?

One flagellum wraps around the middle of the cell, causing it to spin, while the other acts like a propeller, pulling it through the water.

What color are dinoflagellates?

most are bright electric blue or blue-green

fun fact about blue light travel

Blue light travels further through seawater than any other colour, making it the most effective colour for communication and defence in the marine environment.

Other Bioluminescent Creatures Found in New Zealand:

glowwoms, salps, arrowworms, jellyfish, some species of squid, deep-sea lanternfish, fungi

Conditions Needed to See Bioluminescence:

Nights are very dark (little or no moonlight)

The water is calm

Flagellate numbers are high

There is little wind

Minimal artificial light

How long have dinoflagellates existed?

over 200 million years