 Featured Research
In a Galaxy (not so) Far, Far Away
On a quick
glance, this photo could pass for a shot of outer space, but it’s actually an
extreme close-up of a mini-galaxy contained within a crystal jelly (Aequorea victoria) raised in the Aquatic
Nursery.
"What you see
in the photo is the translucent bell rimmed by the green bioluminescent dots where
green fluorescent protein glows when the animal is stimulated," explained
Kiersten Darrow, CMA's Research Curator. "By shining a UV light on the jelly, the
green fluorescent protein has a fluorescent reaction to the light, creating a
similar effect to how actual bioluminescence looks in the wild."
Many different
types of jellies use bioluminescent capabilities (an animal's ability to
produce light), but the how and why is not well understood and it’s not clear
what biological function bioluminescence serves. What's unique about crystal
jellies is their color; most bioluminescent animals lack the green fluorescent
protein and emit a blue light instead.
The bell of a
full-grown crystal jelly can reach up to eight centimeters in diameter, but the
bell of the crystal jelly in the photo is 1.5 centimeters. In the wild, crystal
jellies live about six months and in captivity they can live up to two years.
There are many unanswered questions about how to best raise crystal jellies in captivity.
The jelly in the photo successfully reached the adult medusa stage with the
help of several high school students doing research projects in the Aquatic
Nursery and additional help from CMA part-time research staff.
You can
experience a crystal jelly’s green glow by visiting CMA's Exhibit Hall. In the
Open Ocean habitat section, there are several crystal jellies on display in a
tank next to the Jelly Lab. By pressing a button under the display, a UV light
shines on the crystal jellies causing the green fluorescent protein to react bringing
a piece of ocean magic to light.
Photo credit:
Ben Higgins took this photo using Nikon camera equipment donated by Jeff Neu.
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