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Delve into the fascinating dynamics of light as it penetrates the ocean's depths, reaching 2,000 feet below the surface. Discover how sunlight transforms as it traverses through water, leading to the absorption of colors like red first, while blue reaches the deepest parts. Learn about the incredible adaptations of deep-sea organisms, from counter-illumination techniques to bioluminescence used for evasion from predators. This exploration highlights the remarkable ways life thrives in one of Earth's most challenging environments, showcasing the interplay of light and survival. ###
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Light in the Deep Sea Photos courtesy of Heather Austin marinebio.org
Going down to 2,000 feet in the ocean! Light outside my window… Video Monitor Screen 2,000 ft! 300 ft 550 ft Photos courtesy of Heather Austin
What Happens to Light As it Passes Through the Ocean? • Sunlight produces a visible spectrum of the colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet • These colors combined together appear white • Water absorbs light. • It does this by absorbing the longer (or lower energy wavelengths first) • So…Red gets absorbed first • Blue penetrates deepest • Exception is violet light. It is the shortest wavelength and highest energy BUT it gets scattered by particles in the water. http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk/JRD/SCHOOL/mt/mt001b_2.html
How Do Animals Adapt to Living in Little or No Light? They can… • Counter-illuminate: Animals use light-producing organs on their underside. They increase the light level underneath themselves as they move up into shallower water where they are silhouetted against the sky and dim it as they descend to deeper water. • Bioluminescence to escape predators: Some animals, such as deepwater shrimp, vomit bioluminescent clouds, while some copepods emit bioluminescent clouds from their posterior ends. http://www.tufts.edu/alumni/magazine/fall2007/features/oceans.html http://www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/