The Art of the Depths: Bioluminescent Jellyfish

Great art is inspired by great things. And the Museum of Fine Arts obtains only great art (hence the "Fine"). The latest exhibit at the MFA is a collection of works by the glassblower Dale Chihuly, whose multicolored renderings are nothing short of psychedelic. Some of his most beautiful art is inspired by the bioluminescent jellyfish that light up the otherwise dark and murky lower seas

So we've established that these jellyfish are beautiful. (For more amazing pictures, check out the articleby Environmental Graffiti).
But what is this amazing display all about?
Environmental Graffiti offers four reasons for the bioluminescense of deep sea jellyfish. Firstly, small creatures-- little fish-- see the light and are amazed. Enthralled, as was Mr. Chihuly. So they approach the gently undulating jellyfish and before they know it they are stung and eaten.
Secondly, creating one's own light can prevent one from being seen. If a jellyfish (probably in the mesopelagic region where some sunlight indeed penetrates) is seen from below and is giving off its own light, this light can easily be confused as simple natural light...the jellyfish's invisibility cloak.
Third, bioluminescence can be a scare tactic. Jellyfishfacts.net affirms this in their article on bioluminescent jellyfish. When touched, a jellyfish immediately lights up, to create confusion (not unlike a squid's inking)--this is the result of an instantaneous chemical reaction that occurs with direct stimulation. Furthermore, the potentially dangerous critter who encounters a lit jellyfish will become, as it were, self conscious, and will try, as it were, to step out of the spotlight--for such predators are themselves prey. They'd rather slink around in the dark than be seen. So they flee the scene.
Finally, bioluminescent jellyfish utilize their lighting up to communicate with other jellyfish. It is interesting to note that jellyfish are eyeless. Thus, the light is entirely functional--not recreational. But I take that's a given.

Now for the process of biolumination: luciferinase oxidizes luciferin, with a bluish photoprotein being the result. In 1961, however, the GFP, or green florescent protein was discovered in the jellyfish aequorea victoria, native to the waters of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of North America. According to an article published by the University of Washington, this GFP has been cloned and extensively studied in labs since its discovery fifty years ago.

In fact, we forgot to mention the fifth function of bioluminescense in jellyfish: beauty for human consumption. Enjoy the video:

Cookie Cutter Sharks of the "Deep Sea"

The Cookiecutter Shark is a mesopelagic shark, ranging from the surface at night to almost 12,000 feet during the day, and is found in all the major oceans. Adult males are 12-14.5 inches, while females reach 15-17 inches (www.elasmo-research.org). Its long body contains a gigantic liver, which accounts for nearly 35% of the shark’s total weight. This energy-saving liver is “perfused with low-density oils which render the shark nearly neutrally buoyant over a wide range of depths” (www.elasmo-research.org).


The Cookiecutter has huge eyes, which it uses to spot unsuspecting prey. It then gets sneaky, slowly closing in on the luscious meal. When nearby, the Cookiecutter turns on the fire. Photophores abound on the shark’s body, particularly on its underside. This creates for counter-shading, making our dude more or less invisible to fish below. However, the Cookiemonster takes it one step further. On a special favor from Dios, he has no photophores in between his gills on his throat. This dark spot baffles “upward-looking pelagic predators” (www.elasmo-research.org), making them think the Cookiecutter is a small fish aka brunch. Boom---before you know it, the Cookiemonster busts out his “short, broad caudal fin that is ideal for rapid bursts of acceleration over short distances” (www.elasmo-research.org) and the diner has become dinner!

So what do these guys eat? Mad stuff---squid, mesopelagic teleost fish, crustaceans, pelagic teleosts, cetaceans, other sharks (a bit cannibalistic), and even humans on the rare occasion (he is not picky at all). The Cookiecutter is defined as a parasite because it eats its prey one small bite at a time---and it has pretty much dabbled in every available food the ocean has to offer. Now, how do they eat? Funny you should ask, because it’s pretty strange. Using its “unique suctorial lips that glom onto and help create a good seal against the body surface of its prey,” he chomps on “neatly sliced out circular plugs of flesh” (www.elasmo-research.org). Good day!

Sea Flight

Graham Hawkes is and underwater engineer/inventor who has been responsible for a significant amount of deep water vehicles, including more than three hundred remote ones. Hawkes currently holds the deepest solo dive (3000 ft) which he achieved while test driving his deep rover submersible. He has successfully founded and managed six technology companies. Hawkes Ocean Technology (HOT) is responsible for building deep flight winged submersibles and other vehicles for deep exploration. In 1987, Hawkes was named an Associate Laureate for the Rolex Awards for Enterprise and in 1996 and 1997, and he was nominated for Engineer of the Year by Design News. He is also the founder of the Deep Sea Discovery program (DSD), a marine company responsible for discovering over 350 shipwrecks. Deep sea is not the only thing he is responsible for. He also creates remote control vehicles for the army. Hawkes is considered to be the leader in his field. (http://www.deepflight.com/team/gshbio-autodesk.pdf)



On April 5th, 2011, Hawkes Ocean Technologies announced that their prototype DeepFlight Challenger is being prepped for a monumental dive: 36,000 feet down into the Mariana trench. To attempt a dive to such novel depths will further test the effectiveness of HOT’s positive buoyancy/underwater “flight” model. The prototype was made in collaboration with the late explorer Steve Fossett, under his determination to push the absolute limits of deep sea exploration. The DeepFlight Super Falcon, which is the submersible that will be manned in expeditions happening concurrently to the Mariana Trench dive, was a further advance after Fossett’s death. The Super Falcon is positively buoyant, allowing a foolproof return to the surface, and is commended for its green operation—besides its lowest light and fuel emissions, it requires no environmentally costly lead ballast.


Unlike conventional research submersibles, HOT’s submersibles are sold commercially—albeit expensively—to a wider circle that just the scientific community. Notably, venture capitalist Tom Perkins is the first owner of a Super Falcon, and plans to launch a multi-year exploration and sighting of large “ocean animals”.
In Jordan, where HOT plans to launch its own expedition, it already runs a VIP program for deep sea exploration, selling passes to be taken down in a Super Falcon to experience the deep sea for themselves. (http://www.deepflight.com/pressrelease4-5%202011.pdf)


video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fscic6YsQDk

Deep-Sea Sharks

Deep Sea Sharks are sharks that thrive on the ocean floor. Deep-sea sharks are very flabby, slow moving fish that can only muster small bursts of speed. The deep sea shark that is spotted in this video is a Six Gill shark or Hexanchus Griseus. The Six Gilled Shark appears mostly in depths between 1,500 and 6,000 feet in tropical refions of the world. These sharks can appear to have a brown or gray body color and can grow to be anywhere from 12 to 18 feet. The Hexanchus Griseus is a powerful shark has only one dorsal fin unlike most sharks who have a large dorsal fin on their backs. The Six Gill Shark feed on cephalopods, crustaceans, fish, and rays. At night they migrate up to shallower waters to feed. Deep-sea sharks are very solitary creatures so the nature of the reproductive rituals are still being researched. It can be assumed, however, that deep-sea sharks suck as the Six Gilled Shark meet mates seasonally by moving to warmer and shallower waters.

Frilled Sharks are prehistoric looking sharks that can be found in waters between 165 and 4,200 feet deep, and grow to be a maximum length of just over 6 feet. Scientists that Frilled Sharks may be responsible for reported “sea serpent” sightings because of their eel like appearance. Most Frilled Sharks are found in Japanese waters. Research shows that although 61% of a Frilled Sharks diet is made up of cephalopods, about 11% of their diet is made up of a variety of fast moving teleost fish. Most of what we know about their dieting is based off of examining stomach contents and other research. Nobody is known to have witnessed a Frilled Shark actually eat. Frilled Sharks breed all year long and an average litter consists of 6 pups.  (1)  Little information is known about Frilled Sharks, and a lot still needs to be researched and discovered.

1.  "Deep Sea: Frilled Shark." ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research Home. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. .

Bioluminescence: The magical light

Bioluminescence is the chemical process of organisms converting luciferin into light. (http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/biolumiscence.html) Luciferin is converted into an inert compound known as oxyluciferin and light in a catalytic reaction in the presence of oxygen. (http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/biolumiscence.html) The photophores of the marine organisms use the catalase luciferianse to convert luciferin into light. In marine animals, bioluminescence is typically expressed in blue to green light wavelengths as these wavelengths are the easiest to travel in water and most marine animals can recognize blue light. (http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/biolumiscence.html) While bioluminescence is certainly a beautiful process to witness (as seen in the uploaded video), this procedure has practical purposes for the marine species that utilize bioluminescence. In the video taken from the National Geographic, it discusses how dinoflagellates use bioluminescence as an indirect form of defense. When dinoflagellates are threatened by their chief predator, shrimp, the plankton then illuminate and signal to the shrimp’s primary predator, the cuttlefish, the shrimp is present. The use of bioluminescence amongst the dinoflagellates is merely one facet of bioluminescence. Marine biologists have identified a variety of reasons why certain organisms have attained this adaptation. Some creatures use bioluminescence as a form of communication during mating season by flashing light in the dark ocean to alert potential mates. (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/100506-bioluminescence-sea-life-embed-video/) Instead of utilizing bioluminescence in quick flashes, some animals, like the anglerfish, illuminate constantly to lure prey via a recognizable blue light. While our knowledge of deep sea creatures is limited due to the many complications and technicalities of studying organisms at that depth, we are lucky to see bioluminescence occur at more shallow depths and allow us to gain insight into the deep sea.

Another video for your enjoyment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCNjXaMPZxw

Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vent Creatures: Are they real?...

In the late 1970's, during a routine study of the Pacific Ocean floor, scientists discovered a landscape of chimneys expelling what seemed to be a strange black smoke. These alien like chimneys were in fact hydrothermal vents 8000 feet below the surface of the ocean.* In geologically active areas along the ocean floor, sea water seeps through fissures in the earth's crust to be heated by magma to astonishing temperatures as high as 360 degrees K. As the hot steam shoots up through the fissures, it strips minerals off the rocks surrounding it, feeding a special type of bacteria that processes these "noxious fumes" as nutrients using chemosynthesis.* The bacteria provide the basis for a nutrient rich ecosystem devoid of sunlight, a concept long believed to be impossible. Creatures such as giant tubeworms, deep sea Pompeii worms, hydrothermal vent crabs, hydrothermal vent squat lobsters, and even hydrothermal vent octopi thrive beside the deep sea hydrothermal vents. The hydrothermal vent ecosystem operates similarly to any other food chain, except that the bacteria do not use photosynthesis in order to produce energy. This discovery is integral as it sheds light unto the fact that life can in fact be sustained on earth without the sun.

The colorful array of organisms that thrive at hydrothermal vents prosper in an area teeming with hydrogen sulfide, a chemical that is toxic to most living creatures. While many of the organisms that inhabit hydrothermal vents filter feed, the giant tube worm (Riftia pachyptila) has developed a system unique to the harsh environment it inhabits. These worms lack mouths and digestive tracts, relying instead on an organ called a trophosome.** The trophosome is home to the bacteria that process hydrogen sulfide, and these bacteria undergo chemosynthesis within the body of the tube worm, giving a majority of the produced nutrients to the worm. However, this is not just a one way relationship. The giant tube worm also has specialized gills that exchange hydrogen sulfide (in addition to carbon dioxide and oxygen) and enable the worm to be protected from the harmful effects of the chemical, as well as pass it along to the bacteria waiting eagerly inside.** Relying on chemosynthesis as opposed to photosynthesis is what keeps this ecosystem alive, allowing hundreds of different organisms and communities to flourish in such a lethal environment.







*1. "Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents," Sea and Sky, accessed April 10, 2011, http://www.seasky.org/
deep-sea/hydrothermal-vents.html.

**2. Castro, Peter, and Michael E. Huber. "The Ocean Depths" Marine Biology. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2005. Print.

Photo: http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/chess/education/edu_htv.php

Deep Sea Obsessions

The deep sea is the seat of the soul-- in which many a dead sailor has expired, has breathed his last salty breath, the foam of the crusty Earth coagulated in his throat, the shadow of his last "hurrah" etched still on his flaky and peeling skin.
release the Krakken!

Davy Jones' Locker into the Abyssal Zone!