What does bioluminescence tell us about life in the ocean?
Dr. Edie WidderMore than 75% of sea creatures produce their own light. How do they do it, and what can we learn from this incredible marine firework display?
Learn about this Garden Talk
You may have seen pictures of glowing plankton on the surface of the sea at night. You may even have seen this incredible phenomenon with your own eyes.
You'll probably be surprised to learn that over three-quarters of marine creatures have this remarkable ability (and not just plankton and jellyfish, but all kinds of other invertebrates and fish too, including sharks). Given that the oceans make up more than 70% of the Earth's surface, it's likely that bioluminescence is the most common form of communication on the planet.
Dr. Edie Widder is one of the world's foremost experts in bioluminescence, and she has made over 200 dives in submersibles to study the range of organisms that display this extraordinary ability. Edie joins us in The Garden to share the fascinating science behind the deep-sea's firework display, and what it tells us about life under the ocean.
Talk outline
50 minutes
Amazing Oceans
About the Fellow
Edie Widder is one of the world's leading experts in bioluminescence. Her pioneering oceanographic work has included being part of the first team to capture a giant squid on film.
Amazing Oceans Collection
Covering almost three-quarters of the Earth, our amazing oceans are vast, beautiful, scary and relatively unexplored. This collection brings to the surface fascinating insights and stories across ocean science, conservation and culture.The oceans absorb nearly 1/3 of our carbon emissions; they are literally the world's lungs. How does the sea 'breathe', and why does it do it?
Territory, food, commerce and conquest: what role have the seas played in the development of the nations we see today?
The tech required to explore the deepest parts of the ocean is coming on in leaps and bounds. What bizarre habitats and organisms have we found, and what still remains to be discovered?
There's so much left to learn about the sea and its organisms. Could the ocean be the source of the next drug to change medicine?
We know so little about the deep sea, and even less about what it's like beneath the ice of the Earth's polar regions. How does life flourish in one of the most inhospitable environments on the planet?
More than 75% of sea creatures produce their own light. How do they do it, and what can we learn from this incredible marine firework display?
Sharks are often one of the more misunderstood creatures of the sea, for years demonised by movies. This talk explores why sharks are in fact an essential part of the ocean's ecosystem and how our own future is dependent on saving them.
