Dogo News
By Meera Dolasia on October 2, 2015
My current event is about a biofluorescent turtle, the first biofluorescent reptile ever discovered. In 2015, scientists were diving off the coast of Africa, it was a pleasant surprise when they found this turtle. The article talks about the reason most animals in the twilight zone (the area in the sea from the depth of 650 feet to 3281 feet) are biofluorescent. They are biofluorescent for many reasons. It can be used as camouflage, to blend into things, as a tool to attract prey, and as a way to communicate with other animals. Sadly, this species of turtle is almost extinct, and as far as we know, in fifty years they might not be around.
I chose this article because it stood out to me. Before I read the article, I didn’t really know anything about biofluorescent animals. The only animal I knew about that could produce its own light was the anglerfish. So the fact that other animals, like the turtle possessed this ability was really interesting. And the fact that they evolved into the way they are is just amazing. I wonder how many turtles are like this, and how many types of bioluminescent animals there are in the world. This is a really interesting discovery, and more should be done to protect amazing creatures like this one.
Michael Krah
Works Cited
“Bioflurescent Turtle.” DOGOnews. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2016. <https://cdn4.dogonews.com/images/47124c92-8e88-4815-863f-75c7296444a1/bioflourescent-turtle.jpg>.
“This ‘Glowing’ Sea Turtle Is The World’s First Known Biofluorescent Reptile.” DOGOnews. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Jan. 2016. <https://www.dogonews.com/2015/10/2/this-glowing-sea-turtle-is-the-worlds-first-known-biofluorescent-reptile>.
