New-York tribune., 1901-09-22
OCEANIC PHOSPHORESCEACE.
THE ORGANISMS WHICH PRODUCE II
LIGHT AT GREAT DEPTHS

From The London Telegraph
A CORRESPONDENT at Gorleston calls attention TO
the large amount of phoSphOrescence whlch
shows itself there and at Yarmouth, Lo~westoLt weston
and other places on the east coast OF Noriolh-
This phenomenon is a deeply interesting 1eature
of marine life, both of the deep sea fauna anu
the floating drifting superficial organisms, OF
pIankton. as they collectively called IL mas
long been known that nearly all the more ioWIS
orders-the infusOria. rhiZopOds, polypes. echih-
oderms, meduse tunicates. mollusks, crustacea
and many insects-possessed some power oi
emitting light. A minute rhizopod, the Noctlluca
miliaris, is believed to be the chief cause OF
phosphorescence of our seas. DR.. Phlpson re-
lates that he found it lin such prodiglous num-
bers in the damp sand at Ostend that on Tais-
ing a handful of it it appeared like so much
molten lava.
water bacteria luminous. The so-caiied
phosphorescence of decaying fish and meat Is
due to bac Mr. Barnard and DR. A. Mac
fadyean have produced cultures OF these pac
terra. showing their luminous properties. ana
NJ Tarchanof a fortnight ago sent to the
Academy of Sciences at Paris an account oil
similar experiments with light emitting bacteria
of th.. Baltic. 1t would seem that when oxygen
has access to readily decOmposing matter ngnt
is given off The chemical change takes place in
such a way to allow just that swing or vibra-
ton OF atoms to generate light
This too is cold light. luminosity without
heat like that of the hrehy or the giowworm. m
NJ Tarchanon has produced luminous ice with
his bacilli. 1t is also the cheapest light known
In those brilliant tropical seas. where YOU can
read by it, which seem TO dazzle with the SHtter
of mvriads of diamonds how slight the mechan-
ical energy to produce the radiant effect, Pro
fessor DOlbear says one horsepower spent with
/ out waste would maintain phosphoreScent
light equal to a hundred thousand candles. Here
is a chance for the inventor
This oceanic phosphoresCencc helps to solve
another mystery of the deep IL used TO be
Thought there could be 40 life below two or TIN es
hundred fathoms: first, because there was no
light, and. second. because there could be no
I oxygen. Alas for deduCtivc zoology, The Noy :
ages of exploring ships have proved that
the r. is abundant and varied life, and that polar
currents carry plenty of oxygen To the deepest
depths From a depth of 80 fathomS the
ChalIenger's dredse brought up two hundred
specimens belonging to fifty-nine genera and
seventy-eight species Moreover, most OF the
animals that have eyes above have eyes below.
unlike the sightleSs dwelIers in sunless caves,
and many are beautifully CoioTed-wh hite. purple.
yellow. red. pink violet and green. Nature
would not waste color where il not wanted
These are not Bright things that CLEAN un-
rocked of and in vain" Miles below the surface
/ the great majority of the animals have eyes
says Alexander AGaSSiZ. aul many of them are
things OF beauty II would seem that in these
abysses the light is hoSphurescent, and. as Pro
fessor Hickson observes the deep sea fauna Is
remarkable for the great number of animals
which possess this quality. 1t occurs probably
more or less in all the more important groups.
giant Pyrosoma was brought up by the Chal-
| lenger's deep sea trawl Professor Moseley says:
| Il wrote my name with my finger its surface
out in a few seconds in letters OF fire