{"id":2259,"date":"2023-01-23T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-23T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/studentorg.prd.vanderbilt.edu\/vsvs\/?p=2259"},"modified":"2023-02-18T01:02:56","modified_gmt":"2023-02-18T01:02:56","slug":"why-can-sharks-glow-in-the-dark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/studentorg.vanderbilt.edu\/vsvs\/2023\/01\/23\/why-can-sharks-glow-in-the-dark\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Can Sharks Glow in the Dark?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Editor\/ Designer (Original author: Riley Chu)<\/p>

Yumeng Shen<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Sharks are known to be one of the fiercest predators in the ocean, exhibiting swimming speeds of up to 31 mph and having rows of razor-sharp teeth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of all of their scary features, some sharks can actually glow in the dark! Living in the deep seas, several species of shark were discovered to glow in the dark, a scientific property known as bioluminescence. Bioluminescence is the ability to absorb light and remit a different wavelength of light. Wavelengths are the physical term for the various colors that we can see. Thus, sharks like the kitefin shark and the southern lantern shark are able to absorb blue light within the ocean through proteins in their skin and then emit fluorescent greenish-blue light. <\/p>\n\n\n

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The six-foot-long kitefin shark is the world’s largest-known glow-in-the-dark species with a spine, on land and sea.
(Credit: Dr. J\u00e9r\u00f4me Mallefet\/FNRS\/UCLouvain Belgium<\/em>)<\/sub><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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This image shows a lantern shark glowing in the dark.<\/sub><\/em>
(Credit: Dr. J\u00e9r\u00f4me Mallefet\/FNRS\/UCLouvain Belgium<\/em>)<\/sub><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Another interesting thing is these sharks can turn this ability on and off, a feature that helps them camouflage and escapes from predators. Many scientists suggest that the ability to produce fluorescent light leads to many other evolutionary advantages, such as attracting mates and protecting from marine bacteria. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although you may never see one up close, sharks like the kitefin shark are the living glowsticks of the deep seas!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to know more about the sharks glowing in the dark, please check out the following TED Video!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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