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As dusk gives way to twilight,
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the encroaching darkness is lit by life.
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00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:23,279
These dancing lights around me
are produced by fireflies,
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creatures that have the strange ability
to produce light.
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They bioluminesce.
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00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,159
And fireflies are not alone.
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Scientists are finding ever more strange
and wonderful glowing life forms
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00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:42,879
all around the world.
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00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:49,919
Living light has always fascinated me.
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00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:53,239
And the discovery of more and more
luminous creatures
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00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:55,479
raises more and more questions.
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00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:57,039
Why?
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00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:58,519
What is the light for?
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00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:00,679
And how is it made?
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00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,399
In recent years,
scientists have begun to find answers
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to those questions,
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and in doing so,
they've taken us into a world
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that is utterly unlike our own.
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However astonishing these images look,
they are all real.
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00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:32,039
With help from new cameras,
one designed just for this film,
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we can reveal this extraordinary
phenomenon
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as it has never been seen before.
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Bioluminescence holds many mysteries,
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but we do know that fireflies use it
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to attract the opposite sex.
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Each species has its own flash code
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and we can join in the conversation.
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00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:32,439
I'm going to use this rod
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to fish for fireflies.
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It's the actual rod
used by the scientist
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who was the first to decipher
the various call signs of fireflies.
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And there are 15 different species,
at least, around here,
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each with its own signal.
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Biologist Jim Lloyd used the rod
to imitate male fireflies
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and so decode
their various light patterns.
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He discovered that the call sign
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00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:05,279
consisted partly
in the actual flight path
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of the species concerned.
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00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:10,319
There are, for example, some fireflies
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which move steadily horizontally
like that,
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00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:18,079
and there are others which
turn their light on as they climb,
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00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:19,759
like that.
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00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:23,119
But in addition to the flight path,
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00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:25,959
they flash a particular signal.
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It's rather like morse code.
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So I should be able to use
this light myself.
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There's a female
amongst these leaves here
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00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:40,519
which will emit a single flash,
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00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:45,999
and the male of her species
waits for precisely four seconds
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00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:49,199
and then answers back with a flash,
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whereupon she immediately
gives another flash, like that.
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And the male then knows that
he's going to be a welcome visitor.
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00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:06,439
But the message has recently been shown
to be more than a simple signal for sex.
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00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:12,919
A female judges the quality of a male's
genes by the precision of his timing
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and the brightness of his light.
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She encourages her chosen suitor
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by directing her lanterns towards him.
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And it seems that this male
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sent out all the right signals.
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00:04:45,720 --> 00:04:48,519
We are now discovering
that this language of light
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even has local dialects.
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00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,599
Throughout the summer months
from Florida to southern Canada,
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00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:03,559
gardens, fields and forests sparkle
with these mating messages.
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00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:09,999
Time-lapse photography reveals
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the extraordinary extent
of this courtship.
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00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:21,639
Some species flash only at dusk.
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00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,519
Others prefer the forest canopy
for their light show.
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00:05:32,280 --> 00:05:35,479
Some species make their flashes
more conspicuous
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00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:39,799
by choosing the very darkest
places in which to display.
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00:05:39,840 --> 00:05:45,519
I can see virtually nothing here
except the flashes.
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00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:51,919
And this particular species
has another trick too.
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It synchronises the displays
individuals flash together.
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00:06:01,600 --> 00:06:04,599
Each individual is
triggered by its neighbour
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and soon waves of light
pulse through the woods.
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00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:17,479
Speeded up, the wave becomes clearer.
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00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:27,559
Between the waves,
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00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:32,359
an impressed female
can respond with two flashes of her own.
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00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:36,079
And the males home in on her.
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But she can only choose one.
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00:06:44,920 --> 00:06:48,999
These displays peak
for just a few nights in June,
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00:06:49,040 --> 00:06:53,079
which could explain why
they were only recently discovered.
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Why they all flash together
is still a mystery.
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00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:08,879
It's surprising how little we know
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00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:10,919
about bioluminescence.
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00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:15,079
Fireflies are perhaps
the best understood
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00:07:15,120 --> 00:07:18,799
but some living light
is still very perplexing indeed.
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00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:22,639
With dawn,
the sexual signals of the fireflies
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00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:25,839
are drowned by the increasing
flood of light.
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00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,679
The flies take refuge
in the undergrowth,
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00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:32,239
away from the sharp-eyed predators
of the day.
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00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:37,719
But right now, light is being
produced by life in the soil
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00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:39,799
under my feet.
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00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:44,759
The threads of certain fungi
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00:07:44,800 --> 00:07:47,759
form a glowing, underground network.
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00:07:55,920 --> 00:08:00,559
But why would a fungus shine
in the permanent darkness of the soil?
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00:08:00,600 --> 00:08:02,479
We simply don't know.
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00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:09,719
And for years, fungus bioluminescence,
like much other living light,
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00:08:09,760 --> 00:08:12,839
was written off as a beautiful
by-product of evolution
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00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:14,959
with no function.
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00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:20,319
But some species only glow above ground
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00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:21,679
and only at night
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00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,839
when their intense green light
is very obvious.
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00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:31,759
If it was just a biochemical accident,
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00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,239
then surely they would shine
all the time.
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00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:36,719
The glow certainly attracts insects,
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00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:41,319
and the theory is that these visitors
spread the fungal spores.
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00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:56,679
So here too, just as with fireflies,
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00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:59,719
we're learning new things all the time.
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00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:09,639
But much living light remains
a beautiful enigma.
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00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:15,359
And throughout history,
stories of bioluminescence
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00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:17,759
were often thought to be pure fiction.
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00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:24,839
In the 1870s, Jules Verne,
the French science fiction novelist,
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wrote this in his book
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
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00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:34,879
"At 7 o'clock in the evening,
our ship, half immersed,
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00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:37,839
"was sailing in a sea of milk.
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00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:42,359
"At first sight,
the ocean seemed lactified.
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00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:44,559
"The whole sky seemed black
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"by contrast with
the whiteness of the waters."
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00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:53,839
Jules Verne may have based this story
on a myth told to him by sailors.
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00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:55,639
But in 1995,
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00:09:55,680 --> 00:10:01,559
the captain of a British vessel wrote
a real-life account in his ship's log.
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00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:05,039
"At 1800 hours on a clear,
moonless night,
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00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:09,119
"while 150 miles east
of the Somalian coast,
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00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,799
"a whitish glow was
observed on the horizon
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00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:15,759
"and after 15 minutes of steaming,
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00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:20,599
"the ship was completely surrounded
by a sea of milky white colour
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00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:23,879
"with a fairly uniform luminescence,
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00:10:23,920 --> 00:10:28,479
"and it appeared as though the ship
was sailing over a field of snow
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"or gliding over the clouds."
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00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:36,679
Reports like this are rarer
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than the supposed sightings
of the Loch Ness Monster,
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and there was no photographic evidence.
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00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:49,039
Some scientists, including marine
biologist Stephen Haddock,
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were curious,
and sought confirmation from above.
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00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:57,839
We wondered if you could find
one of these ship reports
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where they record sailing through
one of these milky seas,
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and actually find
the corresponding satellite data
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that cover that area at that same time,
139
00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:10,319
so we looked at this satellite
from the ship report in 1995,
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00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:12,639
and it was somewhat of a eureka moment.
141
00:11:12,680 --> 00:11:16,759
We cleaned up the noisy sensor image
from the camera,
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00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:18,599
we mapped it onto the ship track,
143
00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:22,079
and this 300km feature
emerged on the map
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matching exactly with what the ship
had reported.
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So it was really an amazing moment.
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00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:31,176
We were able to document the full
extent of the milky sea
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over three successive nights
as it rotated with the currents.
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00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:38,239
So satellite images
from the space age
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00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:41,319
validated a piece of maritime folklore.
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00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:46,719
On rare occasions, the oceans do glow.
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00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:53,719
But what was causing a glow so bright
that it could be seen from space?
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The answer can be found
at the back of a neglected fridge.
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Left for a couple of days,
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this sea bream starts to glow.
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00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:23,159
The fish itself
has no light-producing ability.
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The glow is, in fact,
produced by bacteria
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that are found in almost all sea water
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when they start to feed
on decaying fish.
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00:12:34,120 --> 00:12:36,839
On rare occasions when currents
and temperatures
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cause a large bloom of algae
in the ocean,
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these very same bacteria
also feed on dying algae.
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Once they reach
a critical concentration,
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their secretions trigger others to glow.
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They were glowing in such numbers
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that they can be detected
by a satellite in orbit.
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00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:11,639
Bacteria are among
the most ancient forms of life,
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so they may have been the very first
living things to glow.
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00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:18,999
But why they did so is still debated.
169
00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:23,039
Today, some animals have stolen
the genes of the bacteria
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00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:26,799
and incorporated them
into their own DNA.
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00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:30,999
Others have simply kidnapped
the bacteria themselves.
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00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:42,079
These lights are made by captives,
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which are farmed in special organs
below the eyes of flashlight fish.
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They have harnessed the bacterial
glow for many purposes.
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00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:06,719
We can only see them because
our special cameras use infra-red light.
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But to a predator,
the fish look like this...
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..a confusion of lights which makes
it hard to pick a single target.
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Just before they change direction,
the fish give a quick blink.
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These light have other functions too.
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They act as headlights
to illuminate the sea floor
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as the fish search for food.
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They may even help a fish to flirt
with the opposite sex.
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Unlike their captive bacteria,
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flashlight fish use living light
for functions we now understand.
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00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:20,159
But how is the light made?
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While it might appear magic,
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it's actually a straightforward
chemical reaction,
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that happens when a substance is mixed
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with a particular enzyme like this.
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Hey presto! Light.
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The exact chemical formula
varies according to the species.
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00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:52,999
The reaction is very similar to that
with which bacteria produce energy.
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Indeed, it could well be
that the first luminescence
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was a by-product of that process.
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An evolutionary accident
that has been co-opted by the fish
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to help them survive.
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00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,119
The chemicals involved
are quite harmless.
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00:16:11,160 --> 00:16:14,799
In fact, you can actually buy a lollipop
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00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:17,679
which, when you put it in hot water...
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..glows.
201
00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:23,159
But to be truthful,
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I don't really find that
very appetising.
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00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:29,999
Perhaps at the back of my mind,
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00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:34,319
there's a memory of those
bacteria on rotting fish
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00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,399
which tells me that things that glow
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00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:39,239
aren't all that nice to eat.
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00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:45,039
Bacteria may have been
the first living lights,
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00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,679
but then many other organisms
also developed the ability.
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00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:53,039
From jellyfish to fungi and insects,
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00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:57,239
bioluminescence has evolved
independently over 50 times
211
00:16:57,280 --> 00:17:01,239
and is now produced
by thousands of different species.
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00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:07,759
And defence seems to be
a common function.
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00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:14,559
Millipedes are found across the globe.
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00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:19,879
Many are active during the day,
scuttling across the damp forest floor.
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00:17:21,360 --> 00:17:25,479
They can do this with impunity
because they're deadly poisonous.
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00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:29,159
Their bright colours
are a clear message to predators,
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00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:32,559
"Do not eat me. I'm laced with cyanide."
218
00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:43,519
But what about millipedes
that are active at night?
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00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:47,879
They're no less toxic
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00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:50,279
than those that are active
during the day.
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00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:57,399
But, of course, colours at night
are no warning at all.
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00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:03,879
Could it be that luminescence is a way
of warning off night-time predators?
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00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:07,639
These extraordinary millipedes
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00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,639
are only found in the high mountains
of California.
225
00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:15,759
Their bioluminescence
has never been filmed before.
226
00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:21,839
They can't be sending signals
to one another because they're blind.
227
00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:27,399
Their living light evolved
separately from bacteria,
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00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:31,039
from a chemical process that helps
millipedes conserve water
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00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:33,199
in dry environments.
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00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:36,719
But since the millipedes
already contain cyanide,
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00:18:36,760 --> 00:18:39,119
the light evolved a function.
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00:18:40,840 --> 00:18:44,079
To my eyes, he doesn't look very bright,
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00:18:44,120 --> 00:18:48,839
but my eyes are not the eyes
of a night-time predator
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00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:51,919
or, indeed, of our specialist camera.
235
00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:56,399
And to both of them,
this could look very bright indeed,
236
00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:58,439
and be a real warning.
237
00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:03,159
When scientists made clay
models of these millipedes,
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00:19:03,200 --> 00:19:04,839
half of which glowed,
239
00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:09,159
nocturnal predators were more likely
to attack those that didn't glow.
240
00:19:14,360 --> 00:19:17,479
This simple experiment
produced a clear result.
241
00:19:17,520 --> 00:19:20,359
Living light can act as a warning.
242
00:19:24,840 --> 00:19:29,239
But proving the function of
bioluminescence is not always so easy,
243
00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:31,559
as a recent discovery has shown.
244
00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:40,879
These surely are like creatures
from science fiction.
245
00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:44,039
Luminous earthworms.
246
00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:49,159
A few years ago, a lady living
in the Loire Valley in central France
247
00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:52,239
went out during the evening
to look for her dog,
248
00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:55,199
which was digging a hole in the garden.
249
00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:59,999
And in the bottom of the hole,
the soil was glowing.
250
00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:01,759
It was these earthworms.
251
00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:03,959
She could hardly believe her eyes.
252
00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,279
And she went and told people
what she had seen
253
00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:09,239
and few people would believe her.
254
00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:11,799
The species of worm was already known.
255
00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:13,959
It lived over quite a lot of France.
256
00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:17,159
But no-one had ever seen it glow before.
257
00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:20,039
Perhaps that's because
few people went out
258
00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:21,999
in the middle of the night
digging a hole,
259
00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:24,279
especially without a light.
260
00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:28,479
But eventually science recognised
these creatures.
261
00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:33,719
But why should they luminesce
in the darkness of the soil?
262
00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:35,199
Nobody knew.
263
00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:42,479
This blue light had gone
unnoticed by science
264
00:20:42,520 --> 00:20:44,279
until 2010
265
00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:47,199
when biologist Marcel Koken
266
00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:49,159
first saw their eerie glow.
267
00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:55,359
We're trying to find out why
this animal produces light.
268
00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:58,519
A thing living underground -
why produce light?
269
00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:00,679
No use for it apparently.
270
00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:05,439
Is it just a by-product
of some internal chemistry
271
00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:08,799
or could the glow be used
to frighten off attackers?
272
00:21:10,120 --> 00:21:13,159
These ground beetles
are voracious predators
273
00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:15,039
and they love earthworms.
274
00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:20,759
The worms look like ordinary ones
until the light goes out.
275
00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:24,839
Our special camera gives us
a privileged view
276
00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:26,919
of what's happening in the dark.
277
00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:36,879
Marcel's experiments have shown that the
worms can control their brightness.
278
00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:39,319
When the beetle touches
part of the worm,
279
00:21:39,360 --> 00:21:41,679
its light gets brighter.
280
00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,159
So it could be that in case
a predator tries to bite it,
281
00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:50,039
it lights up, that scares the predator.
282
00:21:50,080 --> 00:21:52,639
Predator goes off
and the earthworm can escape.
283
00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:58,559
The beetle bites and the
worm's entire body bursts into light
284
00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:01,319
as it struggles to break free.
285
00:22:01,360 --> 00:22:04,439
But the beetle doesn't seem
put off by the glow.
286
00:22:08,520 --> 00:22:10,279
If this is defence,
287
00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:13,119
it isn't working here.
288
00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:16,279
Marcel is still looking
for the function.
289
00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,119
Perhaps other predators are put off
290
00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:23,199
or perhaps the worms use light
to find each other.
291
00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,399
So it seems that this beautiful glow
292
00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:34,039
has a function which
we still don't understand.
293
00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:40,079
The world of living light
is full of mysteries.
294
00:22:40,120 --> 00:22:42,999
The French worms went unnoticed
for so long
295
00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:46,119
because they produce their eerie light
underground.
296
00:22:48,760 --> 00:22:51,439
But there are rare occasions
when luminous life
297
00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:54,959
is all about revealing yourself.
298
00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:05,679
May 2015.
299
00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:09,359
While the Southern Aurora
illuminates the night sky above,
300
00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:13,679
the sea below produces
a strange blue glow.
301
00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:25,919
Each wave causes a ripple
of intense colour.
302
00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:42,239
The animals in the bay notice it first.
303
00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:48,359
Wading birds are attracted to small
crustaceans caught in the glow.
304
00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:55,519
Each movement alerts others
to this rare spectacle.
305
00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:59,719
People gather to marvel
at this once-in-a-lifetime event.
306
00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:02,639
- Look at that.
- Oh, wow!
307
00:24:02,680 --> 00:24:04,639
Oh, that is amazing!
308
00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:07,319
I have never seen
anything like this before in my life.
309
00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:11,719
That's wicked.
310
00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:29,079
It may look like something
from Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory,
311
00:24:29,120 --> 00:24:31,639
but the phenomenon is real.
312
00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:35,839
A mass bloom of microscopic organisms
313
00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:39,999
caused by a rare combination
of climate and nutrients.
314
00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:41,759
Under this microscope,
315
00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:45,319
I've got a drop of ordinary sea water,
316
00:24:45,360 --> 00:24:49,919
and it's full of tiny organisms
invisible to the naked eye
317
00:24:49,960 --> 00:24:52,799
called dinoflagellates.
318
00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:55,679
And if I disturb them in some way,
319
00:24:55,720 --> 00:25:00,319
they combine two chemicals in their body
to produce a flash of light.
320
00:25:00,360 --> 00:25:02,039
Watch.
321
00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:23,719
Dinoflagellates are one of the biggest
single-celled organisms known.
322
00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:28,639
They're a thousand times bigger
than bacteria.
323
00:25:28,680 --> 00:25:30,559
They're neither animal nor plant,
324
00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:33,159
but have characteristics of them both.
325
00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:35,439
And when conditions are right
in the sea,
326
00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:37,079
as they were in Tasmania,
327
00:25:37,120 --> 00:25:39,679
they bloom in enormous numbers.
328
00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:46,439
Bioluminescent tides like this one
are certainly rare.
329
00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:54,639
However, dinoflagellates are found
in huge numbers all over the world.
330
00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:58,959
They're among the most widespread
of all bioluminescent life.
331
00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:00,999
Wherever they exist,
332
00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:05,399
these single-celled creatures
highlight anything that moves.
333
00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:13,239
But why do dinoflagellates
behave in this way?
334
00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:17,079
It's certainly not to entertain us,
though it obviously does.
335
00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:20,599
Well, it could be that it's
a kind of burglar alarm.
336
00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:24,999
That when a shrimp or some other animal
that feeds on the dinoflagellates
337
00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:28,279
by filtering them out comes along
and starts to feed,
338
00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:31,639
it is, in doing so, illuminating itself.
339
00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:38,319
So that attracts the attention
of perhaps bigger fish
340
00:26:38,360 --> 00:26:40,319
that might feed on the shrimp.
341
00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:45,999
Just as a flashing burglar alarm
alerts the police to a thief,
342
00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:50,799
the dinoflagellates expose
their attacker to its enemies.
343
00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:59,639
The shrimp is revealed to cuttlefish
with fatal results.
344
00:27:04,120 --> 00:27:08,639
And so the cuttlefish can hunt
in total darkness.
345
00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:12,439
But while the dinoflagellates'
light can work in this way,
346
00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:15,599
it's still debated
if that's why they do it.
347
00:27:19,360 --> 00:27:22,239
Whatever the reason,
the magic created by their light
348
00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:25,639
can be one of nature's
most magical spectacles.
349
00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:45,239
Bow-riding dolphins are revealed
as dazzling outlines.
350
00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:55,039
Whenever these lights appear,
351
00:27:55,080 --> 00:27:59,079
the way life in the ocean
hunts and hides is transformed.
352
00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:02,199
Perhaps dolphins are guided
to their prey
353
00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:04,919
by the light of the dinoflagellates.
354
00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:22,479
Only now has it become possible
to film these scenes with such clarity,
355
00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:25,679
but every night,
spectacular light shows like this
356
00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:29,319
play out somewhere in the vastness
of the oceans.
357
00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:50,239
While exactly how dinoflagellates
use bioluminescence remains unproven,
358
00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:54,599
there are other instances
when the burglar alarm effect
359
00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:57,359
has been clearly demonstrated.
360
00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:09,239
Caribbean coral reefs are some of the
most well-dived waters in the world...
361
00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:11,439
..by day.
362
00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:26,119
At night, it's a different world.
363
00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:32,679
A crab searches for a tasty morsel.
364
00:29:35,200 --> 00:29:37,599
This is just what it's looking for,
365
00:29:37,640 --> 00:29:40,279
the delicate tentacles
of a brittle star,
366
00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:42,439
a relative of starfish.
367
00:29:52,800 --> 00:29:57,879
But the brittle star has a surprisingly
effective defence.
368
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,999
When disturbed,
it unleashes a dazzling weapon,
369
00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:04,879
raising the alarm.
370
00:30:07,360 --> 00:30:10,279
Having been revealed,
the crab makes a run for it.
371
00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:18,999
And the normally well-camouflaged
crustacean
372
00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:23,639
becomes easy prey for the octopus
even in the gloom.
373
00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:27,999
Scientists have only recently proved
374
00:30:28,040 --> 00:30:30,759
the light helps the brittle star
drive off predators
375
00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:33,559
or, better still, to get them eaten.
376
00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:43,439
It's in the open water
where there's nowhere to hide
377
00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:46,599
that the burglar alarm defence
is most effective.
378
00:30:47,800 --> 00:30:52,239
Fish hunt small invertebrates
silhouetted against the night sky.
379
00:30:54,360 --> 00:30:57,999
Ostracods - tiny crustaceans no bigger
than a grain of sand -
380
00:30:58,040 --> 00:30:59,719
emerge from the reef.
381
00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:05,519
Cardinal fish are common predators
of the small and unwary.
382
00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:11,999
But when they strike an ostracod,
they get more than they bargained for.
383
00:31:14,120 --> 00:31:17,439
The ostracod discharges
a bioluminescent flash bomb,
384
00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:19,999
one of the brightest forms
of living light,
385
00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:23,079
and the cardinal fish
quickly spits it out.
386
00:31:27,040 --> 00:31:31,319
The light is so bright that it shines
through the body of the fish,
387
00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:33,199
temporarily blinding it,
388
00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:37,879
and this normally invisible fish
becomes an easy target for a predator.
389
00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:50,319
Ostracods,
with their flash bomb defence,
390
00:31:50,360 --> 00:31:52,799
are found throughout the world's oceans.
391
00:31:59,560 --> 00:32:01,399
But in the Caribbean,
392
00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:04,959
they employ their glow
to attract as well as to repel.
393
00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:12,879
It's something that researchers Gretchen
Gerrish and Trevor Rivers are studying,
394
00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:16,839
the spectacular mating display
of ostracods.
395
00:32:16,880 --> 00:32:20,719
But they can't even begin to work
until the moon has set.
396
00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:25,919
A fully moonlit night is not
dark in the eyes of an organism
397
00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:28,759
that depends on their own light
that they create,
398
00:32:28,800 --> 00:32:33,239
and so darkness
truly is just a starlit sky,
399
00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:35,039
no moon present in the sky at all.
400
00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:38,319
Two, three...
401
00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:48,439
Diving without torches
in near total darkness,
402
00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:52,919
Gretchen and Trevor are entering a world
that few people ever witness.
403
00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:59,119
You're immersed in darkness,
you're immersed in water.
404
00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:03,479
And you see streaming stars
floating past you
405
00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:08,039
and they're being produced by these tiny
crustaceans that we barely understand.
406
00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:12,879
By releasing small amounts
of glowing liquid as they swim,
407
00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:16,439
male ostracods leave
a trail of lights in their wake.
408
00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:20,599
The series of precisely timed dots
409
00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:24,519
tell the female where he will be
in exactly half a second.
410
00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:31,519
But as one male starts the display,
another and another join him.
411
00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:40,279
And as the synchronise,
412
00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:44,519
they fan out into this firework-like
display of light.
413
00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:51,119
It's one of the most awe-inspiring
things I've ever seen.
414
00:34:02,440 --> 00:34:06,799
With every research trip,
Trevor and Gretchen discover new species
415
00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:09,439
each with its own light language.
416
00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:29,999
Ostracods and fireflies use
bioluminescence to find potential mates.
417
00:34:30,040 --> 00:34:33,359
And it can be an efficient means
of getting your message across.
418
00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:35,999
But it's not foolproof.
419
00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:38,839
Those messages can be hacked.
420
00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:43,599
There's a love cheat in this situation.
421
00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:48,439
There's also a female
of a particular species here
422
00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:52,959
that when she sees the males
of a different species fly past,
423
00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:56,239
answers with their particular call sign,
424
00:34:56,280 --> 00:34:58,639
and that attracts them.
425
00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:01,719
And when they arrive,
instead of mating with them,
426
00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:05,159
she has her own dastardly way with them.
427
00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:10,839
She mimics the flash patterns
of other species.
428
00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:17,959
An unsuspecting male is lured in.
429
00:35:33,240 --> 00:35:38,919
Fireflies contain toxins thought to
protect them against most predators.
430
00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:41,439
But this femme fatale is not put off...
431
00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:46,479
..and she eats him alive.
432
00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:49,559
In fact, it may be the toxins
that she's after.
433
00:35:51,240 --> 00:35:54,159
She can't produce such chemicals herself
434
00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:58,519
so she tricks and then devours males
of different species
435
00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:00,719
to obtain them.
436
00:36:04,800 --> 00:36:09,079
If she can't get males to come to her,
she goes after them.
437
00:36:11,160 --> 00:36:15,799
And a good place to look for one
is on a spider's web.
438
00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:23,399
A male firefly is ensnared.
439
00:36:23,440 --> 00:36:28,599
As the spider venom takes effect,
his flashing turns to a constant glow.
440
00:36:35,840 --> 00:36:38,679
The femme fatale is alerted
by the dim glow
441
00:36:38,720 --> 00:36:41,359
and she flies straight onto the web
442
00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:44,719
to steal the spider's catch.
443
00:36:44,760 --> 00:36:47,439
As the spider struggles
to keep its prey,
444
00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:50,279
she dazzles it with her lantern.
445
00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:02,519
Using her light, the firefly can clearly
see the spider and avoid the web.
446
00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:10,159
The confused spider loses out.
447
00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:21,359
Predation turns out to be one area
448
00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:25,039
where light-making life
has been very creative.
449
00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:31,799
Like a scene from the surface
of an alien planet,
450
00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:35,919
these termite mounds have lodgers
living in their walls.
451
00:37:44,720 --> 00:37:47,999
The luminous larvae of click beetles
wait in burrows.
452
00:37:56,360 --> 00:37:59,999
Insects are drawn to their death
by the green glow
453
00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:02,279
like moths to a flame.
454
00:38:04,720 --> 00:38:10,359
And the beetle larvae gorge on the
steady supply of unsuspecting victims.
455
00:38:20,240 --> 00:38:23,439
These predators work as individuals.
456
00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:30,639
There is another insect
that excels in deception...
457
00:38:32,440 --> 00:38:35,679
..but it works alongside
thousands of its own kind.
458
00:38:39,200 --> 00:38:42,159
From outside, this cave shows no sign
459
00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:45,319
of the astonishing things
that go on inside.
460
00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:54,239
The entrance is fringed
with a curtain of silk
461
00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:57,279
woven by the larvae of a kind of gnat.
462
00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:01,119
They move back and forth along the rocks
463
00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:05,239
lowering sticky strings of saliva
from the roof of the cave.
464
00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:13,879
As night falls, the walls
and ceiling of this cavern
465
00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:17,279
become nature's very own planetarium.
466
00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:28,719
The trap is set.
467
00:39:30,840 --> 00:39:36,439
The cool blue light produced
in each larva's tail is the lure.
468
00:39:42,360 --> 00:39:45,199
Other insects that hatch
and emerge in the cave
469
00:39:45,240 --> 00:39:49,079
instinctively fly upwards to the sky.
470
00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:51,359
But this is not a starlit sky.
471
00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:53,279
It's a deathtrap.
472
00:40:05,160 --> 00:40:08,199
Bioluminescence is clearly
a powerful tool
473
00:40:08,240 --> 00:40:11,239
to these life forms that possess it.
474
00:40:11,280 --> 00:40:13,719
But it's only effective in darkness.
475
00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:20,919
Each dawn, the bright rays of the sun
overwhelm the power of living light.
476
00:40:25,560 --> 00:40:28,239
For all of the wonders
of bioluminescence
477
00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:31,279
in the plains and woodlands
of the earth,
478
00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:36,919
there is one place where living light
is virtually the key to existence -
479
00:40:36,960 --> 00:40:39,519
the world of eternal darkness,
480
00:40:39,560 --> 00:40:41,919
the deep sea.
481
00:40:48,560 --> 00:40:54,519
The Western Flyer is one of the world's
most advanced deep-sea research vessels.
482
00:40:56,560 --> 00:41:01,399
In the black depths, there are no edges,
no boundaries,
483
00:41:01,440 --> 00:41:04,279
nowhere to hide.
484
00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:06,799
Predators and prey have therefore
had to develop
485
00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:09,959
some extraordinary strategies
to stay alive,
486
00:41:10,000 --> 00:41:12,759
and many do so with the help of light.
487
00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:17,959
Dr Stephen Haddock
has spent the last 25 years
488
00:41:18,000 --> 00:41:20,959
studying the least-known part
of our planet,
489
00:41:21,000 --> 00:41:23,039
the ocean depths.
490
00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:27,839
I think people
look at bioluminescence,
491
00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:29,239
this ability to make light,
492
00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:31,639
they think of it as a very
magical thing.
493
00:41:31,680 --> 00:41:35,359
But once you see the diversity
and the range of functions
494
00:41:35,400 --> 00:41:38,319
that bioluminescence serves
for animals in the ocean,
495
00:41:38,360 --> 00:41:42,479
it's clear that it's a critical part
of the whole ecology of the system.
496
00:41:42,520 --> 00:41:44,999
Until recently,
it was all but impossible
497
00:41:45,040 --> 00:41:48,359
to collect living bioluminescent
creatures from the deep.
498
00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:53,839
But this remote submersible
known as the Doc Ricketts,
499
00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:56,559
is equipped to do just that.
500
00:41:58,080 --> 00:42:00,399
They're trying to find new life
501
00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:04,479
and clues as to why light making
has evolved in so many forms.
502
00:42:11,920 --> 00:42:15,359
In the control room
thousands of metres above,
503
00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:19,759
Steve and the crew navigate past
alien-like life forms.
504
00:42:19,800 --> 00:42:20,800
Nice.
505
00:42:23,040 --> 00:42:24,399
Wow.
506
00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:28,079
But in truth, it is us
who are the aliens down here.
507
00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:48,559
Although very sophisticated,
the Doc Ricketts' own remote cameras
508
00:42:48,600 --> 00:42:52,719
are not sensitive enough
to record bioluminescence,
509
00:42:52,760 --> 00:42:56,359
so they use bright lights
to find and film these creatures.
510
00:42:57,880 --> 00:43:01,719
To have any hope of observing
their light-making powers,
511
00:43:01,760 --> 00:43:04,919
the research team needs to bring them
to the surface.
512
00:43:06,440 --> 00:43:09,359
Gentle suction
and remotely-controlled canisters
513
00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:13,119
are used to delicately scoop up
the rare sea creatures.
514
00:43:19,680 --> 00:43:21,399
Vampire squid.
515
00:43:23,440 --> 00:43:25,319
Even with it. In.
516
00:43:26,840 --> 00:43:28,839
Down. Yes!
517
00:43:30,520 --> 00:43:32,239
Viperfish.
518
00:43:35,640 --> 00:43:37,519
Perfect.
519
00:43:37,560 --> 00:43:39,519
Oh, look! Oh!
520
00:43:39,560 --> 00:43:41,479
And dragonfish.
521
00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:45,239
They don't just sound like something
522
00:43:45,280 --> 00:43:47,759
from a sailor's tale
of fantasy monsters -
523
00:43:47,800 --> 00:43:50,039
they look like them too.
524
00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:56,079
This is one of the few dragonfish
that has ever been seen alive,
525
00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:02,999
and it's one of the even fewer
that have been captured unharmed.
526
00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:08,439
- Yes!
- Yay!
527
00:44:08,480 --> 00:44:09,999
Oh, my gosh.
528
00:44:15,120 --> 00:44:17,119
Once they arrive
on the ship,
529
00:44:17,160 --> 00:44:19,999
thousands of metres above
their normal environment,
530
00:44:20,040 --> 00:44:21,919
there is no time to waste.
531
00:44:21,960 --> 00:44:27,159
The enormous pressure change is likely
to cause any bioluminescence abilities
532
00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:28,679
to disappear.
533
00:44:31,240 --> 00:44:34,479
The race is on to try
and observe those abilities
534
00:44:34,520 --> 00:44:36,999
and understand their functions.
535
00:44:40,400 --> 00:44:41,639
Wow.
536
00:44:48,720 --> 00:44:52,279
In some species,
it seems to be defensive.
537
00:44:53,320 --> 00:44:57,759
Like the circling flashes
of the Atolla jellyfish.
538
00:45:00,160 --> 00:45:04,919
Or the rippling light waves
of the Beroe comb jelly.
539
00:45:15,480 --> 00:45:20,839
In other species, like this viperfish,
light is used not only for defence
540
00:45:20,880 --> 00:45:22,919
but to lure prey.
541
00:45:27,120 --> 00:45:31,719
These pyrosomes, colonies
of minute translucent creatures,
542
00:45:31,760 --> 00:45:35,599
use light to communicate
within the colony.
543
00:45:35,640 --> 00:45:39,879
The team's experiment shows that
as one colony begins to glow,
544
00:45:39,920 --> 00:45:42,399
its neighbours light up in response.
545
00:45:45,160 --> 00:45:46,959
What could they be saying?
546
00:45:51,200 --> 00:45:54,159
Thanks to the delicate sampling
methods of the Doc Ricketts,
547
00:45:54,200 --> 00:45:58,599
the team are able to observe a living
and luminescing dragonfish,
548
00:45:58,640 --> 00:46:01,599
a sight few have ever witnessed.
549
00:46:04,360 --> 00:46:05,999
Whatever their function,
550
00:46:06,040 --> 00:46:09,479
one thing unites all these types
of bioluminescence -
551
00:46:09,520 --> 00:46:11,679
their otherworldly beauty.
552
00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:21,759
And this beauty is the result of
an evolutionary arms race,
553
00:46:21,800 --> 00:46:25,719
where light is a weapon
to blind or deceive.
554
00:46:28,600 --> 00:46:31,679
In response, some animals have evolved
555
00:46:31,720 --> 00:46:36,039
the most sophisticated
and bizarre eyes on the planet.
556
00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:43,919
The rare barrel-eyed fish has eyes
that can only look upwards
557
00:46:43,960 --> 00:46:48,799
through the top of its translucent head,
searching for prey above.
558
00:46:51,280 --> 00:46:55,719
It's so rare, catching even a glimpse
of it alive is a huge achievement.
559
00:47:02,000 --> 00:47:05,599
And the same is true
for the cock-eyed squid.
560
00:47:05,640 --> 00:47:10,159
It has one normal eye,
and one strange, upward-looking eye.
561
00:47:18,920 --> 00:47:22,599
At this depth,
it is too dark for human eyes,
562
00:47:22,640 --> 00:47:27,239
but the faintest light from the surface
half a kilometre above
563
00:47:27,280 --> 00:47:30,119
can just reach this twilight zone.
564
00:47:33,080 --> 00:47:36,679
Firefly squid normally live
at these depths.
565
00:47:36,720 --> 00:47:39,519
To prevent themselves
from being seen from below,
566
00:47:39,560 --> 00:47:42,199
they hide themselves with light.
567
00:47:44,760 --> 00:47:50,439
It's a strange paradox - in this dark
world, light can be used for camouflage.
568
00:47:54,120 --> 00:47:58,559
At close range, the light-emitting
cells, called photophores,
569
00:47:58,600 --> 00:48:00,039
are easy to see.
570
00:48:00,080 --> 00:48:03,599
But from a distance,
they break up the outline of the squid
571
00:48:03,640 --> 00:48:05,839
and it merges with the background.
572
00:48:11,520 --> 00:48:14,679
It's an elegant solution
used by many creatures,
573
00:48:14,720 --> 00:48:17,679
where a silhouette
can be a death sentence.
574
00:48:25,440 --> 00:48:28,799
In shallower waters,
the colour of the light changes
575
00:48:28,840 --> 00:48:34,759
so the squid, as it gets closer
to the surface, uses green photophores.
576
00:48:44,240 --> 00:48:47,319
The lives of firefly squid are short.
577
00:48:47,360 --> 00:48:49,279
When they're only a year old,
578
00:48:49,320 --> 00:48:54,119
mated females make their final journey
to the surface to spawn.
579
00:48:58,960 --> 00:49:04,439
But even in their final moments,
they are both spectacular and valuable.
580
00:49:12,560 --> 00:49:17,279
All along the coast here, these squid,
which die naturally after spawning,
581
00:49:17,320 --> 00:49:19,799
are gathered as a local delicacy.
582
00:49:21,680 --> 00:49:23,719
It's largely through this fishery
583
00:49:23,760 --> 00:49:27,439
that we know anything at all
about the firefly squid.
584
00:49:28,880 --> 00:49:34,359
Like so many deep sea creatures, their
daily lives are still virtually unknown.
585
00:49:35,480 --> 00:49:41,359
What we do know is that their world
is dominated by bioluminescence.
586
00:49:44,360 --> 00:49:47,519
We've come a long way
from watching fireflies
587
00:49:47,560 --> 00:49:49,999
in the woodlands of Pennsylvania.
588
00:49:50,040 --> 00:49:55,319
Organisms that produce light on land
may be exceptional,
589
00:49:55,360 --> 00:49:57,919
but in the sea, creatures that do so -
590
00:49:57,960 --> 00:50:02,719
like these comb jellies -
are, in fact, the norm.
591
00:50:07,600 --> 00:50:12,119
In the oceans and on land,
living creatures of many kinds
592
00:50:12,160 --> 00:50:16,439
have harnessed the power of light
in extraordinary ways.
593
00:50:16,480 --> 00:50:21,439
To mate, to lie,
even to hide under a cloak of light.
594
00:50:24,840 --> 00:50:28,079
Yet, with the latest cameras
and technology,
595
00:50:28,120 --> 00:50:32,839
we are only beginning to understand
the lives of luminous creatures.
596
00:50:35,200 --> 00:50:37,799
There remain many mysteries.
597
00:50:39,160 --> 00:50:42,039
But what a beautiful world they create.
598
00:50:43,240 --> 00:50:48,319
And what a beautiful world
awaits the scientists of the future.
599
00:51:04,120 --> 00:51:07,199
To make this program,
we've had to use cameras
600
00:51:07,240 --> 00:51:10,279
that are far more sensitive
than our own eyes
601
00:51:10,320 --> 00:51:14,119
and about as sensitive as many of
the animals that we're showing.
602
00:51:18,080 --> 00:51:21,559
The eye is one of evolution's
greatest achievements,
603
00:51:21,600 --> 00:51:25,359
and nature has certainly devised
some fiendishly complex
604
00:51:25,400 --> 00:51:27,519
and sensitive examples,
605
00:51:27,560 --> 00:51:32,079
some of which are designed
specifically to see bioluminescence.
606
00:51:35,680 --> 00:51:40,679
When we enter the dark,
we barely notice bioluminescence.
607
00:51:40,720 --> 00:51:44,599
But after a few minutes, physiological
changes take place in our eyes
608
00:51:44,640 --> 00:51:47,399
that enable us to see living light.
609
00:51:48,760 --> 00:51:52,359
Cameras have always struggled
to replicate what the human eye can do,
610
00:51:52,400 --> 00:51:56,999
but with special low-light cameras,
we can now record glowing light
611
00:51:57,040 --> 00:51:59,559
at least as well -
and sometimes better -
612
00:51:59,600 --> 00:52:01,159
than we can see it ourselves.
613
00:52:02,960 --> 00:52:07,279
But being able to film the glow
is only one part of the solution.
614
00:52:07,320 --> 00:52:09,639
To really understand light on earth,
615
00:52:09,680 --> 00:52:12,479
you need to be able to record
the creature themselves
616
00:52:12,520 --> 00:52:14,199
as they make the light.
617
00:52:15,520 --> 00:52:21,039
This camera allows you to film in low
light levels in a completely new way.
618
00:52:21,080 --> 00:52:24,079
The beam of light comes in
through the single lens,
619
00:52:24,120 --> 00:52:26,839
but it's then split into two,
620
00:52:26,880 --> 00:52:30,919
and one camera records
on one light frequency
621
00:52:30,960 --> 00:52:33,759
and the other
on a different light frequency.
622
00:52:34,880 --> 00:52:38,279
One of the cameras
is sensitive to infra-red right,
623
00:52:38,320 --> 00:52:42,959
invisible to most animals, but which
allow the camera to record in the dark.
624
00:52:44,080 --> 00:52:46,999
The second camera records
only the bioluminescence,
625
00:52:47,040 --> 00:52:49,359
which is mostly blue or green.
626
00:52:50,360 --> 00:52:53,319
The two are then combined
into one picture.
627
00:52:56,680 --> 00:53:00,479
And that way, you can get pictures
at a low light level,
628
00:53:00,520 --> 00:53:02,519
not only of bioluminescent animals,
629
00:53:02,560 --> 00:53:05,279
but even the environment
in which they are living.
630
00:53:06,280 --> 00:53:09,719
This technique,
pioneered by filmmaker Martin Dohrn,
631
00:53:09,760 --> 00:53:13,559
allows us to enter the world
of bioluminescent creatures
632
00:53:13,600 --> 00:53:16,799
and also to contribute to new science.
633
00:53:16,840 --> 00:53:21,159
It's this type of camera,
the many things I see on these images,
634
00:53:21,200 --> 00:53:24,159
which I wouldn't be able to see
normally.
635
00:53:25,360 --> 00:53:27,959
In the past, scientist Marcel Koken
636
00:53:28,000 --> 00:53:32,799
has been unable to study the worm
and beetle without using a light.
637
00:53:32,840 --> 00:53:35,519
But when he did,
the light would frighten the beetle
638
00:53:35,560 --> 00:53:38,279
and overpower the worm's
bioluminescence.
639
00:53:38,320 --> 00:53:42,999
With the help of Martin's camera,
Marcel is able to observe and record
640
00:53:43,040 --> 00:53:46,359
the beetle and worm encounter
for the first time.
641
00:53:47,440 --> 00:53:50,239
Having decided working with
two cameras simultaneously
642
00:53:50,280 --> 00:53:54,959
wasn't already hard enough,
the team decide to take them underwater.
643
00:53:55,960 --> 00:54:01,439
The objective was to film the beautiful
mating display of ostracods,
644
00:54:01,480 --> 00:54:04,439
tiny, one-millimetre-long crustaceans,
645
00:54:04,480 --> 00:54:09,799
in the dark, swirling currents of their
natural habitat - a huge challenge.
646
00:54:11,160 --> 00:54:13,256
- Martin, how was it tonight?
- We've had a lot of problems.
647
00:54:13,280 --> 00:54:17,359
Tonight it went smoother,
it's calmer - much, much calmer.
648
00:54:17,400 --> 00:54:20,879
A lot of what I saw
looked utterly amazing.
649
00:54:23,280 --> 00:54:25,639
Martin's beam-splitting system
650
00:54:25,680 --> 00:54:27,999
makes it possible to film
the bioluminescence,
651
00:54:28,040 --> 00:54:32,439
as well as the tiny ostracods,
as they leave light in their wake.
652
00:54:32,480 --> 00:54:35,079
However, the scientists are not done.
653
00:54:36,880 --> 00:54:40,039
Marine biologist Gretchen Gerrish
hopes the camera
654
00:54:40,080 --> 00:54:43,759
will enable her to film
groups of males that aren't flashing,
655
00:54:43,800 --> 00:54:46,919
swimming alongside
the individual that is,
656
00:54:46,960 --> 00:54:50,479
something that has only ever
been seen in the lab.
657
00:54:52,320 --> 00:54:56,439
These males, known as sneakers,
are invisible to a normal camera
658
00:54:56,480 --> 00:54:58,719
because they leave no light trail.
659
00:54:58,760 --> 00:55:02,679
But our camera, nicknamed Bertha,
could change all that.
660
00:55:03,800 --> 00:55:05,319
So, how was Bertha?
661
00:55:05,360 --> 00:55:06,999
Bertha is awesome!
662
00:55:07,040 --> 00:55:11,799
She was filming the sneakers
and you could see them swimming.
663
00:55:11,840 --> 00:55:14,199
She's a bit of a beast.
664
00:55:15,200 --> 00:55:17,336
What do you think, Trevor?
Did you get any good footage?
665
00:55:17,360 --> 00:55:20,719
It was just awesome.
This is opening the doors for so much.
666
00:55:22,960 --> 00:55:25,216
The scientists
are keen to get their first look
667
00:55:25,240 --> 00:55:27,039
at the combined images from Bertha.
668
00:55:28,200 --> 00:55:31,319
So this here,
two little forms. Look at that.
669
00:55:32,680 --> 00:55:35,919
The infra-red does show
there is a spiralling group of males
670
00:55:35,960 --> 00:55:39,599
intent on intercepting the female
before she can reach the male
671
00:55:39,640 --> 00:55:42,599
that's done all the hard work
of attracting her.
672
00:55:46,800 --> 00:55:50,959
And there are far more competing males
than the scientists had expected.
673
00:55:52,280 --> 00:55:54,639
It's an ostracod soup.
There's thousands of them.
674
00:55:56,280 --> 00:55:59,079
What, to our eyes,
is a beautiful, orderly display,
675
00:55:59,120 --> 00:56:02,159
is, in fact, an ostracod free-for-all.
676
00:56:02,200 --> 00:56:06,719
Lots of males try to cash in
on the efforts of a few.
677
00:56:06,760 --> 00:56:08,576
The amount of information
you could farm from this
678
00:56:08,600 --> 00:56:10,816
is something we've been
trying to do for the last five years.
679
00:56:10,840 --> 00:56:12,136
That's a paper right there.
680
00:56:12,160 --> 00:56:14,479
What, you mean in that...?
There's not a paper there.
681
00:56:14,520 --> 00:56:15,919
- Maybe.
- Close to it.
682
00:56:17,440 --> 00:56:21,159
But having high-tech kit
is only part of the story.
683
00:56:21,200 --> 00:56:24,119
Since much of the bioluminescence
is little-known,
684
00:56:24,160 --> 00:56:27,199
just finding it
is often the biggest hurdle.
685
00:56:27,240 --> 00:56:31,959
The crew are about to head out
on their most ambitious shoot.
686
00:56:32,000 --> 00:56:34,096
Tonight, we're going to try
and film something
687
00:56:34,120 --> 00:56:36,879
that we know is found all over the world
688
00:56:36,920 --> 00:56:40,759
and it happens every night
in every ocean, almost anywhere.
689
00:56:40,800 --> 00:56:45,399
And yet, in terms of getting information
from people as to where we might find it
690
00:56:45,440 --> 00:56:48,119
and when the best time is,
there's nothing.
691
00:56:50,560 --> 00:56:52,279
As night falls,
692
00:56:52,320 --> 00:56:56,479
they head away from shore
and any artificial light.
693
00:56:56,520 --> 00:57:01,559
And soon they're sailing in a sea
laced with dinoflagellates.
694
00:57:02,640 --> 00:57:08,199
These blue flashes can be seen in almost
any ocean at night, with the lights out.
695
00:57:08,240 --> 00:57:11,119
But this alone
is not what the crew came for.
696
00:57:11,160 --> 00:57:14,319
They're hoping to meet
some special visitors.
697
00:57:24,600 --> 00:57:28,359
Working on a rocking boat in complete
darkness with a prototype camera
698
00:57:28,400 --> 00:57:32,799
is one of the trickiest challenges
Martin has faced in his career.
699
00:57:35,760 --> 00:57:38,199
After a week searching the dark sea,
700
00:57:38,240 --> 00:57:41,519
here they are - dolphins!
701
00:57:49,480 --> 00:57:53,879
To be out at night
with clear skies and beautiful stars
702
00:57:53,920 --> 00:57:57,199
and everywhere
there are flashes of light,
703
00:57:57,240 --> 00:58:01,359
and when Dolphins turn up, the show
just gets more extraordinary still.
704
00:58:01,400 --> 00:58:04,999
It really is one of the most amazing
things I've ever seen in my life.
705
00:58:07,520 --> 00:58:10,839
Scenes like this
are happening across the oceans,
706
00:58:10,880 --> 00:58:15,519
yet this is one of the few times
they've ever been caught on camera.
707
00:58:18,760 --> 00:58:21,239
New technologies and new ideas
708
00:58:21,280 --> 00:58:25,879
are creating a revolution
in our way of seeing the world
709
00:58:25,920 --> 00:58:29,359
and of understanding life that glows.
60572
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