How the sea fireflies of the Caribbean are shining new light on evolution

In the 18th century, the French naturalist Godeheu de Riville was sailing across the Indian Ocean when he came upon a remarkable sight. The sea “was covered over with small stars; every wave which broke about us dispersed a most vivid light, in complexion like that of a silver tissue electrified in the dark,” he recounted in his journal. When de Riville examined the sparkling water with his microscope, he discovered that the “small stars” were tiny crustaceans now known as ostracods. Centuries later, in 1980, marine biologist James Morin was scuba diving just after sunset in the Virgin Islands when he noticed bright blue dots blinking on and off several meters away. When he shone his flashlight through the water, he saw scores of ostracods flitting across its beam. After multiple dives, he discerned that the flashes weren’t random. The ostracods lit up in specific patterns in space and time, much like the courtship flashes of fireflies that light up summertime meadows. The realization changed the course of Morin’s career. Now a professor emeritus at Cornell University, Morin has spent the past 4 decades working with a small, dedicated group of colleagues to unravel the mysteries of what they describe as the most spectacular natural wonder that most people will never see. Male ostracods only display for about an hour, shortly after sunset on moonless nights in warm Caribbean seas. Most recreational divers don’t dive at night, and those who do tend to ...
Source: Science of Aging Knowledge Environment - Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research