Oceanography | December 2019
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE OCEANOGRAPHY SOCIETY
VOL.32, NO.4, DECEMBER 2019
Oceanography
SPECIAL ISSUE ON
FLEAT: Flow
Encountering Abrupt
Topography
Oceanography | Vol.32, No.4
VOL. 32, NO. 4, DECEMBER 2019
Oceanography | December 2019
contents
VOL. 32, NO. 4, DECEMBER 2019
10
INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL ISSUE. FLEAT: A Multiscale
Observational and Modeling Program to Understand How Topography
Affects Flows in the Western North Pacific
By T.M.S. Johnston, M.C. Schönau, T. Paluszkiewicz, J.A. MacKinnon, B.K. Arbic,
P.L. Colin, M.H. Alford, M. Andres, L. Centurioni, H.C. Graber, K.R. Helfrich,
V. Hormann, P.F.J. Lermusiaux, R.C. Musgrave, B.S. Powell, B. Qiu, D.L. Rudnick,
H.L. Simmons, L. St. Laurent, E.J. Terrill, D.S. Trossman, G. Voet, H.W. Wijesekera,
and K.L. Zeiden
22
Nonlinear Short-Term Upper Ocean Circulation Variability in the
Tropical Western Pacific
By B. Qiu, S. Chen, B.S. Powell, P.L. Colin, D.L. Rudnick, and M.C. Schönau
32
The End of an El Niño: A View from Palau
By M.C. Schönau, H.W. Wijesekera, W.J. Teague, P.L. Colin, G. Gopalakrishnan,
D.L. Rudnick, B.D. Cornuelle, Z.R. Hallock, and D.W. Wang
46
Eddies, Topography, and the Abyssal Flow by the Kyushu-Palau Ridge
Near Velasco Reef
By M. Andres, M. Siegelman, V. Hormann, R.C. Musgrave, S.T. Merrifield,
D.L. Rudnick, M.A. Merrifield, M.H. Alford, G. Voet, H.W. Wijesekera, J.A. MacKinnon,
L. Centurioni, J.D. Nash, and E.J. Terrill
56
Typhoon-Forced Waves Around a Western Pacific Island Nation
By S.T. Merrifield, T.A. Schramek, S. Celona, A.B. Villas Bôas, P.L. Colin, and E.J. Terrill
66
Understanding Vorticity Caused by Flow Passing an Island
By D.L. Rudnick, K.L. Zeiden, C.Y. Ou, T.M.S. Johnston, J.A. MacKinnon, M.H. Alford,
and G. Voet
74
Observations of Near-Inertial Surface Currents at Palau
By M. Siegelman, M.A. Merrifield, E. Firing, J.A. MacKinnon, M.H. Alford, G. Voet,
H.W. Wijesekera, T.A. Schramek, K.L. Zeiden, and E.J. Terrill
84
Dynamical Downscaling of Equatorial Flow Response to Palau
By H.L. Simmons, B.S. Powell, S.T. Merrifield, S.E. Zedler, and P.L. Colin
92
Island Wakes Observed from High-Frequency Current Mapping Radar
By S.T. Merrifield, P.L. Colin, T. Cook, C. Garcia-Moreno, J.A. MacKinnon, M. Otero,
T.A. Schramek, M. Siegelman, H.L. Simmons, and E.J. Terrill
102 Turbulence and Vorticity in the Wake of Palau
By L. St. Laurent, T. Ijichi, S.T. Merrifield, J. Shapiro, and H.L. Simmons
110 Energy and Momentum Lost to Wake Eddies and Lee Waves Generated
by the North Equatorial Current and Tidal Flows at Peleliu, Palau
By T.M.S. Johnston, J.A. MacKinnon, P.L. Colin, P.J. Haley Jr., P.F.J. Lermusiaux,
A.J. Lucas, M.A. Merrifield, S.T. Merrifield, C. Mirabito, J.D. Nash, C.Y. Ou,
M. Siegelman, E.J. Terrill, and A.F. Waterhouse
126 Palau’s Effects on Regional-Scale Ocean Circulation
By G. Gopalakrishnan and B.D. Cornuelle
136 Energy Transfer in the Western Tropical Pacific
By S.E. Zedler, B.S. Powell, B. Qiu, and D.L. Rudnick
SPECIAL ISSUE ON
FLEAT: FLOW ENCOUNTERING ABRUPT TOPOGRAPHY
10
110
46
84
Oceanography | December 2019
Oceanography | Vol.32, No.4
A
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SPECIAL ISSUE GUEST EDITORS
• T.M. SHAUN JOHNSTON
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
• THERESA PALUSZKIEWICZ
Octopus Ocean Consulting LLC
• MARTHA SCHÖNAU
Applied Ocean Sciences
• LOUIS ST. LAURENT
University of Washington
ON THE COVER
The microstructure glider used for turbulent wake studies is in
the foreground, with Pat Colin aboard the Coral Reef Research
Foundation’s catamaran Kemedukl in the background. Photo
credit: Steve Lindfield, CRRF. Bottom left: Mika Siegelman
(University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa) cradling a conductivity
and temperature recorder that is covered with gooseneck
barnacles. Photo credit: Kristin Zeiden, Scripps Institution
of Oceanography. Middle: Shoreline of Palau. Photo credit:
Hans C. Graber, University of Miami. Right: Simulation of the
eddying currents surrounding the islands of the Republic of
Palau, showing salinity (color) and velocity at 400 m resolution
(see Harper et al., 2019, in this issue for model details). Image
credit: Harper Simmons, University of Alaska Fairbanks
146
174
Oceanography | Vol.32, No.4
146 Connecting Process Models of Topographic Wave Drag to Global Eddying
General Circulation Models
By B.K. Arbic, O.B. Fringer, J.M. Klymak, F.T. Mayer, D.S. Trossman, and P. Zhu
156 Tropical Western Pacific Thermal Structure and its Relationship to
Ocean Surface Variables: A Numerical State Estimate and Forereef
Temperature Records
By T.A. Schramek, B.D. Cornuelle, G. Gopalakrishnan, P.L. Colin, S.J. Rowley,
M.A. Merrifield, and E.J. Terrill
164 Ngaraard Pinnacle, Palau: An Undersea “Island” in the Flow
By P.L. Colin, T.M.S. Johnston, J.A. MacKinnon, C.Y. Ou, D.L. Rudnick, E.J. Terrill,
S.J. Lindfield, and H. Batchelor
174 Radar Observations of Ocean Surface Features Resulting from
Underwater Topography Changes
By L. Nyman, B. Lund, H.C. Graber, R. Romeiser, and J. Horstmann
184 Flow-Topography Interactions in the Samoan Passage
By J.B. Girton, J.B. Mickett, Z. Zhao, M.H. Alford, G. Voet, J.M. Cusack, G.S. Carter,
K.A. Pearson-Potts, L.J. Pratt, S. Tan, and J.M. Klymak
194 A Spatial Geography of Abyssal Turbulent Mixing in the Samoan Passage
By G.S. Carter, G. Voet, M.H. Alford, J.B. Girton, J.B. Mickett, J.M. Klymak, L.J. Pratt,
K.A. Pearson-Potts, J.M. Cusack, and S. Tan
DEPARTMENTS
05
QUARTERDECK. Talking to Local Communities About Climate Change
By E.S. Kappel
06
FROM THE PRESIDENT. Observing the Ocean: From Niche to Norm
By M. Visbeck
08
RIPPLE MARKS. Bioluminescent, Biofluorescent Species Light the Way
to New Biomedical Discoveries
By C.L. Dybas
204 THE OCEANOGRAPHY CLASSROOM. How to Help Your Students Ask
More and Better Questions
By M. Zrada, K.A. Kastens, and M. Turrin
207 BOOK REVIEW. Ocean Outbreak: Confronting the Rising Tide of
Marine Disease
Reviewed by T.M. Hill
209 BOOK REVIEW. The Outlaw Ocean: Journeys Across the Last
Untamed Frontier
Reviewed by D.J. Baker
211 CAREER PROFILES. Marley Jarvis, Outreach and Education Specialist,
Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington
Oceanography | December 2019
EDITOR
Ellen S. Kappel
Geosciences Professional
Services Inc.
ekappel@geo-prose.com
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Vicky Cullen
vcullen@whoi.edu
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Cheryl Lyn Dybas
cheryl.lyn.dybas@gmail.com
DESIGN/PRODUCTION
Johanna Adams
johanna-adams@cox.net
Oceanography
https://tos.org/oceanography
Oceanography contains peer-reviewed articles that chronicle all aspects of
ocean science and its applications. The journal presents significant research,
noteworthy achievements, exciting new technology, and articles that address
public policy and education and how they are affected by science and tech-
nology. The overall goal of Oceanography is cross-disciplinary communica-
tion in the ocean sciences.
Oceanography (ISSN 1042-8275) is published by The Oceanography Society,
1 Research Court, Suite 450, Rockville, MD 20850 USA. Oceanography arti-
cles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and repro-
duction in any medium or format as long as users cite the materials appro-
priately, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate the
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in articles are included in the Creative Commons license unless indicated
otherwise in a credit line to the material. If the material is not included in
the article’s Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission
directly from the license holder to reproduce the material. Please contact
Jennifer Ramarui at info@tos.org for further information.
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Claudia Benitez-Nelson
University of South Carolina
cbnelson@geol.sc.edu
Ian Brosnan
NASA Ames Research Center
ian.g.brosnan@nasa.gov
Grace Chang
Integral Consulting Inc.
gchang@integral-corp.com
Margaret L. (Peggy) Delaney
University of California, Santa Cruz
delaney@ucsc.edu
Philip N. Froelich
Duke University
froelich@magnet.fsu.edu
Charles H. Greene
Cornell University
chg2@cornell.edu
William Smyth
Oregon State University
smyth@coas.oregonstate.edu
Kiyoshi Suyehiro
Yokohama Institute for Earth
Sciences, JAMSTEC
suyehiro@jamstec.go.jp
Peter Wadhams
University of Cambridge
p.wadhams@damtp.cam.ac.uk
The Oceanography Society was founded in 1988 to
advance oceanographic research, technology, and
education, and to disseminate knowledge of ocean-
ography and its application through research and
education. TOS promotes the broad understand-
ing of oceanography, facilitates consensus building
across all the disciplines of the field, and informs the
public about ocean research, innovative technology,
and educational opportunities throughout the spec-
trum of oceanographic inquiry.
OFFICERS
PRESIDENT: Martin Visbeck
PRESIDENT-ELECT: Andone Lavery
PAST-PRESIDENT: Alan C. Mix
SECRETARY: Allison Miller
TREASURER: Susan Banahan
COUNCILORS
AT-LARGE: Richard Crout
APPLIED TECHNOLOGY: James Girton
BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY: Charles H. Greene
CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY: Peter Sedwick
EDUCATION: Carolyn Scheurle
GEOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY: Amelia Shevenell
PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY: Magdalena Andres
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE: Christina Hernández
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Oceanography | December 2019
Oceanography | Vol.32, No.4
OCEANOGRAPHY
COMING TO OCEANOGRAPHY IN MARCH 2020. Oceanography guest
editors Melissa Omand and Emmanuel Boss are seeking contributions to
DIY Oceanography. In this new section, contributing authors share all of the
relevant information on a homemade sensor or instrument so that others can
build, or build upon, it. The short articles will also showcase how this technol-
ogy was used successfully in the field. Contributions should include a list of
the materials and costs, instructions on how to build, and any blueprints and
codes (those could be deposited elsewhere). See Oceanography’s Author
Guidelines page (https://tos.org/oceanography/guidelines) for detailed infor-
mation on submission requirements.
CALL
FOR
CONTRIBUTIONS
The deadline for the TOS Council
Election is January 31, 2020.
Voting in this election is an important
function of membership. The persons
elected will participate in directing the
affairs and determining the future of
the Society.
A message has been sent to all TOS
members with instructions on voting.
If you have not received the election
email, please contact Jenny Ramarui at
jenny@tos.org.
TOS COUNCIL
ELECTION
March 2020
MULTI-TOPIC ISSUE
June 2020
PALEOCEANOGRAPHY:
LESSONS FOR A
CHANGING WORLD
September 2020
MARINE BIODIVERSITY
OBSERVATION NETWORK:
AN OBSERVING SYSTEM
FOR LIFE IN THE SEA
December 2020
ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS
OF OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY
DEVELOPMENT
March 2021
GoMRI:
GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL
& ECOSYSTEM SCIENCE
2010–2020
https://tos.org/oceanography
Oceanography
UPCOMING
Oceanography Style Now
Available for EndNote
We are pleased to announce that the
Oceanography citation style is now
available for download from EndNote.
Please go to the EndNote web page
https://endnote.com/
and search on “oceanography”
NEW!!!
SPECIAL ISSUES
Oceanography | December 2019
The ocean influences weather and climate by storing solar radiation
and distributing heat and moisture around the globe.
Talking to Local Communities
About Climate Change
As science issues become increasingly important in political and pol-
icy debates, it is more important than ever before for scientists to com-
municate effectively outside the literal and figurative walls of our own
communities. In October, I got my opportunity to do just that when I
gave a presentation on climate change to attorneys at a Maryland law
firm as part of their “continuing legal education” series. Although I’m
not a climate scientist, when the invitation arrived I wasn’t deterred
from accepting. I was confident the Internet contained enough
information—in particular, simple explanatory graphics—for me to
construct an informative talk.
I wasn’t disappointed. There was no perfect one-click download,
but US federal and state agencies post a gargantuan amount of infor-
mation about the causes and consequences of climate change on their
websites. Much of the information is aimed directly at educating the
public, and much of it is really quite good. The great challenge was to
cull the trove of information into a 45-minute talk. I began by cov-
ering the workings of the global climate system, and then added a
Maryland twist about how global trends translate into problems
facing local communities, especially those located along the Atlantic
Ocean and in nearby low-lying areas. Not surprisingly, land use and
community association lawyers whose clients (or the clients’ insurers)
worry about future flooding, erosion, and storm intensity were among
those most engaged by the presentation, but everyone in the room
knew someone whose property is threatened by sea level rise.
Based on my experience, I suggest that our community consider
offering a simple and well-designed set of slides and talking points
about climate change that can be downloaded from The Oceanography
Society website. The presentation would enable any informed per-
son to give a talk on climate change to a small, local group without
expending a huge amount of effort. The overarching slide set would
provide the big picture of how the global climate system works, with
a focus on the ocean’s role in it, along with some of the large-scale
consequences of global warming. We could perhaps develop add-on
slides aimed at specific audiences such as lawyers, real estate develop-
ers, or local businesses, or designed to address specific regional issues
such as sea level rise or fisheries.
We all know that climate change touches almost every corner of
our physical and economic environments, but it was gratifying to see
how other professions are anxious to be educated so that they can give
the best possible advice about how to adapt, adjust, and cope.
Ellen S. Kappel, Editor
Global Climate Change
What Can We Expect for Maryland?
Water rescues along the Clara Barton Parkway,
July 2019. Photo credit: Pete Piringer, Montgomery
County Fire & Rescue Service
Sea Level is Rising
Credit: NOAA
Credit: https://climatechange.maryland.gov/science/
Saltwater Intrusion
As sea levels rise, more
agricultural fields will be
inundated with saltwater on
Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Photo Credit: Severn Smith (TNC)
Warm ocean
waters provide
the energy to fuel
storm systems.
Image Credit: NASA’s Earth Observatory/
LANCE MODIS Rapid Response Team
Projections of future
climate over the
United States suggest
that the recent trend
toward increased
heavy precipitation
events will continue.
The map shows percent increases in the
amount of precipitation falling in very heavy
events from 1958 to 2012.
»
Source: globalchange.gov
Projections of future
climate over the
United States suggest
that the recent trend
toward increased
heavy precipitation
events will continue.
The map shows percent increases in the
amount of precipitation falling in very heavy
events from 1958 to 2012.
»
Source: globalchange.gov
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Oceanography | Vol.32, No.4
EVERY 10 YEARS, the ocean observing community gets
together to take stock of what we have accomplished, where the
new opportunities might be, and what innovation and improved
collaboration could bring. The third such community-driven
conference—OceanObs’19—convened in Honolulu, Hawaii, on
September 16–20. Once again, it brought together people from
all over the world to communicate the decadal advances made
in ocean observing technologies and the remarkable science that
observing networks have enabled—and to chart innovative solu-
tions to society’s growing needs for ocean information and ways
in which collaborations can accelerate progress.
But how did we get there?
Looking back at the first conference, OceanObs’99, held
October 17–22 in Saint Raphaël, France, it was a galvaniz-
ing force for the 300 attendees who all had interests in ocean
observations and climate. That conference benefited from the
just completed World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE),
which highlighted the acute need to collect data from the ocean
more regularly and systematically in order to document its role
in the climate system, to provide the data needed for emerging
seasonal to interannual forecasting, and to improve understand-
ing of ocean dynamics. Very quickly, this first OceanObs confer-
ence provided significant input into the rapidly growing Global
Ocean Observing System (GOOS). The Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission (IOC) created GOOS in 1991 in
response to calls from the Second World Climate Conference
(Geneva, 1990). The creation of GOOS was also spurred by the
desire of many nations to gather the information required to
improve forecasts of climate change, the management of marine
resources, the mitigation of the risks of natural disasters, and the
use and protection of the coastal zone and coastal ocean.
Ten years later, OceanObs’09, held September 21–25 in
Venice, Italy, brought together more than 600 scientists to build
a common vision for the acquisition of routine and sustained
global information on the marine environment sufficient to
meet society’s needs for describing, understanding, and fore-
casting marine and climate variability and weather; sustainably
managing living marine resources; and assessing longer-term
trends. The community attending the conference expanded
from largely physical oceanographers and carbon chemists in
1999 to include biogeochemists and biologists in 2009. One of
the conference’s most significant outcomes was the development
of the Framework for Ocean Observing. The Framework pro-
vides guidance in the implementation of an integrated and sus-
tained ocean observing system. It uses a systems approach that
is designed to be flexible and to adapt to evolving scientific, tech-
nological, and societal needs toward delivering an ocean observ-
ing system with a maximized user base. The Framework shows
how to respond to societal issues with science-driven plans,
tools, and deployment strategies that will successfully address
those issues. It further recognizes that to maintain a fit- for-
purpose ocean observing system, the outputs (publications,
products, ocean services) must properly address the issues that
drove the original requirements. This system evaluation creates
a constant feedback loop that ensures requirements are always
science- driven and informed by societal needs.
Just a few month ago, OceanObs’19 assembled more that
1,500 ocean scientists, engineers, and users of ocean observ-
ing technologies from 74 countries and across many disciplines.
Leading up to the conference, the community produced more
than 120 community white papers. The overarching conference
goal was to improve the governance of a global ocean observing
system by including advocacy, funding, and alignment with best
practices, and to designate responsibility for product definition
that encompasses production and timely delivery at the appro-
priate scales (global, basin, regional, national) to serve user
needs. The conference articulated a vision for ocean observing:
In recognition of the central role the ocean plays in supporting
all life on Earth, we see a resilient world whose societies prosper
through sustainable interactions with our ocean, guided by timely,
reliable, and accessible information.
The conference also produced a declaration:
We, the participants of the decadal OceanObs’19 Conference, hear
the call from maritime stakeholders, operational resource man-
agement agencies, and researchers from private and public orga-
nizations about the importance of more complete and sustained
observations in the ocean globally. Information about the ocean
is needed to advance the understanding of the ocean system,
strengthen security and safety at sea, mitigate the risk of disasters
including those related to a changing climate, reduce pollution and
harmful debris, and inform efforts to conserve life in the sea for the
benefit of future generations. It is required to design and support
policy options that sustain ocean-related human benefits.
OBSERVING THE OCEAN
From Niche to Norm
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Oceanography | December 2019
Followed by a call to the community:
In solidarity, we, the global ocean observing community and
users of this information, invite all governments, international
organizations, industries, scientists, engineers, stewards of ocean
resources, members of civil society, Indigenous societies, youth and
all of us who live, work and rely on the ocean to engage in a collec-
tive effort to evolve ocean observing to generate the data and infor-
mation we need for the ocean we want.
Specifically, 10 dimensions of action were highlighted:
1. Engage observers, data integrators, information providers,
and users from the scientific, public, private, and policy sec-
tors in the continuous process of planning, implementa-
tion, and review of an integrated and effective ocean observ-
ing system.
2. Focus the ocean observing system on addressing critical
human needs, scientific understanding of the ocean and the
linkages to the climate system, real time ocean information
services, and promotion of policies that sustain a healthy,
biologically diverse, and resilient ocean ecosystem.
3. Harness the creativity of the academic research and engi-
neering communities, and work in partnership with the pri-
vate and public sectors to evolve sensors and platforms, better
integrate observations, revolutionize information products
about the ocean, and increase efficiency and reduce costs at
each step of the ocean observing value chain.
4. Advance the frontiers of ocean observing capabilities from
the coast to the deep ocean, including all aspects of the
marine biome, disease vectors, pollutants, and exchanges of
energy, chemicals and biology at the boundaries between the
ocean and air, seafloor, land, ice, freshwater, and human pop-
ulated areas.
5. Improve the uptake of ocean data in models for understand-
ing and forecasting of the Earth system.
6. Ensure that all elements of the observing system are inter-
operable and that data are managed wisely, guided by open
data policies, and that data are shared in a timely manner.
7. Use best practices, standards, formats, vocabularies, and the
highest ethics in the collection and use of ocean data.
8. Involve the public through citizen-engaged observations,
information products, outreach, and formal education
programs.
9. Evolve ocean observing governance to learn and share, coor-
dinate, identify priorities, increase diversity, promote part-
nerships, and resolve conflicts, through a process of continu-
ing assessment to improve observing.
10. Promote investments in ocean observing and information
delivery and sustain support.
A timely commentary from John Bell of the European
Commission said, “Ocean Observing needs to develop from
niche to norm. Something that needs all parts of society to
be engaged in. Together we should recognize the benefits that
ocean observation, information, and knowledge bring to all of
us living, working and relying on the ocean.”
In the months to come, the OceanObs’19 organizers and
sponsors will launch several efforts to address issues around four
themes and other areas of community action. Information: how
do we meet future user needs? Interoperability: how can we bet-
ter communicate among observing systems to deliver products
for users that follow usability and other best practices across the
globe? Innovation: how can we spur innovation in observing
technologies, products, and user services? Integration: how can
we balance user and operator needs, capabilities, and knowledge
worldwide? There will be town halls at many ocean meetings
during the next 12 months, and I am looking forward to seeing
impactful changes in the way we cooperate, share, and resource
ocean observing. How can we go from the niche of science and
engineering to the norm of serving society with critical ocean
information? The outcomes of this process will inform a grow-
ing GOOS and provide critical energy toward the UN Decade
of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030). I
am also sure it will have an impact on how we will advance and
develop The Oceanography Society (TOS).
TOS supported the OceanObs19 process by publicizing the
calls for community white papers and by contributing funds
toward early career attendance, and we helped to organize a
pre-conference early career workshop. During the conference,
a TOS booth provided attendees with an opportunity to learn
about TOS and to hear from the community about how TOS can
support ocean observing in the future. I could imagine that in
the future TOS might sponsor an award to recognize outstand-
ing individuals or team initiatives in the area of sustained global
ocean observing. A proposal for this award would go to the TOS
Council and could become an item of discussion regarding TOS
strategic development under the heading “TOS Strategy 2030,”
to be completed at the end of 2020.
Martin Visbeck, TOS President
OceanObs19: http://www.oceanobs19.net/
OceanObs19 Declaration: http://www.oceanobs19.net/
wp- content/uploads/2019/09/OO19-Conference-Statement_
online.pdf
Global Ocean Observing System: https://www.goosocean.org/
Framework for Ocean Observing: http://www.oceanobs09.net/foo/
Oceanography | Vol.32, No.4
Throughout history, humans have been
fascinated with the “living light” produced
by luminescent organisms. Today, the
glimmering power of bioluminescence
has been harnessed for lifesaving uses
in medicine, from lighting up structures
inside the brain to illuminating the pro-
gression of cancer cells.
One of the first accounts of biolumines-
cence and health was written in 77 CE. In
Historia Naturalis, Roman physician and
naturalist Pliny the Elder described medic-
inal substances derived from aquatic ani-
mals, including pulmo marinus. A jellyfish
now known as Pelagia noctiluca, Latin for
“night light of the sea,” the species emits
a glowing substance from the outer edge
of its bell. When boiled in water or taken
in wine, Pliny believed, pulmo marinus
treated “the gravell and the stone.”
Also in the first century, Greek physi-
cian and botanist Pedanius Dioscorides
posited in De Materia Medica, an herbal
medicine encyclopedia he penned, that
“pulmo marinus being beaten small whilst
it is new and so applied, doth help such as
are troubled with chillblanes and such as
ye have goute.”
Some two thousand years have passed
since the time of Pliny and Dioscorides.
Only recently, however, have researchers
discovered exactly how bioluminescence
is created, let alone how to employ it in
cures for disease.
The sparkle of marine bioluminescence
occurs in species from fish in the deep
ocean to jellyfish and dinoflagellates in the
shallows, among others. They create light
through the interaction of the enzymes
luciferase and luciferin (the terms are
derived from the Latin word lucifer—light-
bringer), or by hosting light-emitting bacte-
ria. Biofluorescence, sometimes confused
with bioluminescence, is released when
an animal such as a jellyfish or eel absorbs
light and re-emits it in a different color.
Now, “a vast range of analytical tech-
niques has been developed based on
bioluminescence,” write Zinaida Kaskova,
Aleksandra Tsarkova, and Ilia Yampolsky
of the Russian Academy of Sciences and
the Pirogov Russian National Research
Medical University in a 2016 paper in
Chemical Society Reviews.
“Immunoassays,
gene
expression
assays, drug screening, bioimaging of live
organisms, cancer studies, and the inves-
tigation of infectious diseases,” the scien-
tists state, are just the beginning of a tale
of 1,001 lights, as the researchers refer to
the growing number of bioluminescence
discoveries with applications in medicine.
A REVOLUTION IN SCIENCE
An early chapter in the tale of 1,001 lights,
according
to
neurobiologist
Vincent
Pieribone, director of the John B. Pierce
Laboratory at the Yale University School
of Medicine, is green fluorescent protein
(GFP). GFP is found in the crystal jelly-
fish Aequorea victoria. This and other
fluorescent proteins have revolutionized
research in fields from immunology to
neuroscience.
Many organisms are now known to
manufacture fluorescent proteins. “These
proteins are extending the boundaries of
science, including allowing researchers to
understand, manipulate, and interact with
the living brain,” says Pieribone.
When
scientists
develop
methods
that allow them to see things that were
once invisible, research takes a giant
leap forward. For example, in the seven-
teenth century, Anton van Leeuwenhoek
invented the microscope. A new world
opened.
Scientists
could
suddenly
observe previously unknown bacteria and
blood cells. So it is with fluorescent pro-
teins, Pieribone says.
BRIGHT GREEN EEL PATENT
Based on a bright green fluorescent pro-
tein found in two fish—the false moray
eels
Kaupichthys
hyoproroides
and
Kaupichthys n. sp.—Pieribone’s team
was awarded a patent for a new method
of detecting bilirubin in blood or urine.
Bilirubin is produced in bone marrow cells
and in the liver as the end product of red
blood cell (hemoglobin) breakdown.
High levels of bilirubin may indicate
liver damage or other disease. Molecular
Tools LLC, a biotech company in Frederick,
Maryland, is working with the scientists to
develop new ways of testing for bilirubin
based on these proteins.
Bioluminescent,
Biofluorescent Species
Light the Way to New
Biomedical Discoveries
By Cheryl Lyn Dybas
Oceanography | Vol.32, No.4
Image of the bioluminescence of
Chaetopterus, the parchment tubeworm.
Image credit: David Liittschwager, Scripps
Institution of Oceanography
The bioluminescent crystal jellyfish
Aequorea victoria. Image Credit:
Sierra Blakely, Wikimedia Commons
Bioluminescent,
Biofluorescent Species
Light the Way to New
Biomedical Discoveries
By Cheryl Lyn Dybas
RIPPLE MARKS: THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY