Glowing Shrimp

As Owl City once said, “You would not believe your eyes if ten thousand fireflies lit up the world as I fell asleep.” Well… would you believe it if, instead of fireflies, it were shrimps lighting up the ocean? In the deep sea, many animals glow through a process called bioluminescence. It’s a chemical reaction that helps animals survive in the dark- used for everything from hiding, hunting, or saying “stay away!” You can find bioluminescence in all sorts of creatures, including shrimps, fishes, and squids!

So, how do scientists study glowing animals? My favorite way is by sitting with the animals in the dark—to actually see them glow. Since the deep sea is a very dark place, we have to recreate that darkness here on land. For me, that means building a special “dark space” in the lab. It’s kind of like a mini fort, made with a small tent, black plastic bags, and aluminum foil to block out all light. I usually do this at night, when the lab is quiet and everyone else is asleep… and that’s when the cool stuff starts to happen!

Caption: Stormie Collins, Ph.D. candidate, sitting in the dark space tent in the lab.

First, I gently collect live shrimps and let them chill (literally!) in the fridge while I get the space ready. Then I crawl inside with some colored lights and special chemicals and wait for the magic. Sometimes, the shrimps glow by releasing a cloud of light. Imagine if, instead of regular vomit, we glowed when we threw up—yep, that's kind of what they do! This glowing cloud helps them scare off predators. Even just a light touch can trigger it, and the result is a shimmering burst of blue that floats in the water like the coolest nightlight ever. Other times, I add a chemical to the water to activate their glow. The light might flash briefly or stay glowing for a few minutes. This can happen through little light organs inside their bodies or on their “skin”! Don’t worry though, this doesn’t hurt them, and they go right back to swimming after.

Caption: Stormie posing with a shrimp that was collected in the sample.

I feel so incredibly lucky every time I see these tiny creatures light up the dark. And honestly? I do feel like I’m getting a thousand hugs from ten thousand lightning bugs (shrimps). And yes—every single time they glow… You can bet I do a little dance. :D

- Stormie