New research by the UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and funded by NERC may have found a promising new method of assessing fish stocks by using bioluminescence.
As fish move through the water they disturb bioluminescent organisms which triggers a chemical reaction that emits a flash of light. Researchers think that monitoring these flashes of light may help to improve the monitoring of movements in the ocean, including fish shoals and internal waves.
The new research, conducted by Dr Charlotte Marcinko, is reportedly the first time that anyone has examined how bioluminescence can be predicted by modelling the bioluminescent organisms themselves.
It uses a simple ecological model to simulate seasonal changes in the abundance of a particular type of organism called dinoflagellates.
Dr Marcinko said it is not yet known why dinoflagellates emit light – one key theory is that the flash of light is intended to startle predators.
