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

摘要

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)