Abstract
Bioluminescence is a prominent functional trait used for visual communication. A recent quantification showed that in pelagic ecosystems more than 75% of individual macro-planktonic organisms are categorized as able to emit light. In benthic ecosystems, only a few censuses have been done, and were based on a limited number of observations. In this study, our dataset is based on observations from remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives conducted from 1991–2016, spanning 0–3,972 m depth. Data were collected in the greater Monterey Bay area in central California, USA and include 369,326 pelagic and 154,275 epibenthic observations at Davidson Seamount, Guide Seamount, Sur Ridge and Monterey Bay. Because direct observation of in situ bioluminescence remains a technical challenge, taxa from ROV observations were categorized based on knowledge gained from the literature to assess bioluminescence status. We found that between 30–41% of the individual observed benthic organisms were categorized as capable of emitting light, with a strong difference between benthic and pelagic ecosystems. We conclude that overall variability in the distribution of bioluminescent organisms is related to the major differences between benthic and pelagic habitats in the deep ocean. This study may serve as the basis of future investigations linking the optical properties of various habitats and the variability of bioluminescent organism distributions.
Highlights
In the ocean, the largest ecosystem on earth, light emission by organisms is one the most effective ways to communicate, due to the transparency and optical homogeneity of the midwater environment
We compiled pelagic and benthic deep-sea data, based on visual observations of organisms seen by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in the Monterey Bay area
The objectives were to assess: (i) the extent of bioluminescence ability in deep-sea epibenthic organisms; (ii) whether bioluminescent organisms have a different distribution in pelagic vs. benthic ecosystems; or (iii) between various specific benthic ecosystems, (iv) depth-related spatial variability in bioluminescence use; (v) the gaps in our knowledge of bioluminescence capability in benthic organisms, highlighting the taxa that have not been tested in order to focus further investigations
Summary
The largest ecosystem on earth, light emission by organisms is one the most effective ways to communicate, due to the transparency and optical homogeneity of the midwater environment. Reduced bioluminescent capability in benthic animals has been hypothesized[20] based on in situ low-light cameras images and sampled organisms that were tested for bioluminescence From these observations, about 20 of 100 sampled organisms were described as bioluminescent. Major challenges to sampling come from a restricted number of stations sampled, short duration of cruises, the escape behavior of animals, the limited capability of ROVs to catch and store organisms, and the lack of low-light cameras to document the physiological state of animals shipboard For these reasons, the quantification of this capability based on direct observations remains challenging. The dataset covers animals observed in the water column and on the deep seafloor in the Monterey Canyon, Guide and Davidson Seamounts as well as Sur Ridge, between 0–3,972 m depth We categorized this information with a database we created from the literature and direct scientific observations to assign bioluminescence ability to over 1,157 taxa. This study takes trait-based approach to quantifying the occurrence of bioluminescence in the deep-sea benthos and documents the differences in the use of this trait at an ecosystem level
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