The Occurrence and Distribution of Surface Bioluminescence in the Oceans During 1966 Through 1977.

Abstract

Displays of bioluminescence, caused by many different organisms, occur throughout the oceans of the world. Some of these are spontaneous; others can be attributed to a known stimulus, such as the turbulence caused by the passage of a fish school or ship. Moreover, low light level image intensifiers enable us to see displays invisible to the unaided human eye. The last surveys of the occurrence of bioluminescence in the oceans were made in 1966. This report brings those surveys up to data. In addition, the results of five NRL cruises are presented. On those cruises, bioluminescence was found almost everywhere along the cruise tracks. The principal causative organisms were identified as euphausiid shrimp, dinoflagellates, and copepods. Salps, coelenterates and ctenophores, and ostracod crustaceans were responsible for luminescence in certain limited areas. (Author)

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 26, 1978
Accession Number
ADA054638

Entities

People

  • Richard V. Lynch Iii

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Air Platforms
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aquatic Organisms
  • Atlantic Ocean
  • California
  • Cells
  • Chemistry
  • Crustaceans
  • Detectors
  • Fish
  • Indian Ocean
  • Low Light Levels
  • Marine Biology
  • Military Research
  • Oceanography
  • Oceans
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Remote Sensing
  • Sea Water

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Aquatic Ecology
  • Marine Ecotoxicology
  • Sensor Fusion and Tracking Systems.