Turtle that glows sea found!
It is the First Biiofluorescent Reptile
Atlanta (Georgia, USA): Scientists discovered the very first biofluorescent
reptile, CNN reported on Wednesday, 30th September 2015.
Biofluorescence is the ability for an organism to absorb light, transform
it and re-emit it as a different color.
Many sea creatures have shown the ability to show single colors but this turtle is one of the first organisms to show two. So far only corals have shown two colors.
Many sea creatures have shown the ability to show single colors but this turtle is one of the first organisms to show two. So far only corals have shown two colors.
Here is some extacts from CNN Report:
That's not a "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle" floating before your
eyes. You're seeing the first biofluorescent reptile discovered by scientists.
While filming small sharks and coral reefs in the Solomon Islands in the
South Pacific, marine biologists had a stunning encounter with a
"glowing" sea turtle.
Scientists captured footage of a hawkbill sea turtle emitting neon green
and red light. The discovery was made in late July by David Gruber of the City
University of New York and his team. The footage was released for the first
time on Monday, 28th September 2015..
Gruber, an emerging explorer for National Geographic, described the turtle
as an alien spaceship when he initially saw it swimming in the water.
"It was absolutely gorgeous," Gruber said in an interview with
CNN. The turtle swam into the team's lights while they were filming coral
underwater. The turtle's appearance was unexpected and took everyone by
surprise, he said.
Fluorescence has helped provide a marker for scientists to see the inner
workings of cells and that has partially lead to an explosion in research in
the biofluorescence field, Gruber explained.
Finding a reptile that exhibits biofluorescence opens up a new set of
questions: Why is a turtle emitting light? What is the chemical composition?
Unlike bioluminescence, which is when an organism produces its own light
through chemical reactions, such as what fireflies do, biofluorescence is when
an animal absorbs light, transforms it and radiates it, sometimes in different
colors.
You can view the video of this fantastic turtle by clicking here: http://cnn.it/1L3ZCJe
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