The first biofluorescence in reptiles has been sighted and filmed in a hawksbill sea turtle swimming near the Solomon Islands.
Organisms that can glow in the dark provide some of the most beautiful spectacles in nature. On land, only fireflies and some species of bacteria and fungi can produce their own light through chemical reactions, an ability called bioluminescence. In contrast, the dark depths of the sea absolutely glow with a menagerie of incandescent animals and plants. The oceans also contain a variety of organisms that can biofluorescence, or absorb blue light and emit it in a different color. While biofluorescent animals need an external light source to put on their own shows, that doesn't diminish their beauty. Scientists had never before observed biofluorescence in reptiles — until now.
National Geographic explorer David Gruber thought he had discovered a UFO glowing with red and green lights while filming coral off the Solomon Islands. Of course, it wasn't a spaceship — it was a hawksbill sea turtle. The turtle contains certain structures in its skin that absorb the blue light that filters down from the ocean's surface, and re-emits the light at a lower energy level, specifically in the longer wavelengths that make up red and green light. Since this is the first time scientists have seen biofluorescence in sea turtles, Gruber is excited to find out how and why the turtle uses biofluorescence. Considering the darkness of their deep sea habitat, it's possible that biofluorescent animals use their light emissions to communicate.
Read more about Gruber's research here.
