Glowing Water

Bioluminescence, the ability of an organism to "glow", is found in organisms all over the world. Some examples are fireflies and glow worm beetles. For most organisms, the ability to light-up helps deter predators. This same principle is at work in a certain dinoflagellates that live in our oceans. This summer I visited a small island off the coast of Puerto Rico called Vieques. In the southern part of the island there is a small inlet called Mosquito Bay where dinoflagellates make the water glow neon green-blue. The way it work is as you move in the water, you are disturbing these microscopic protists and they in turn glow. The conditions of Mosquito Bay that allow for these organisms to thrive are a large population of mangrove trees on which they feed, as well as a very low presence of humans and industry in the area.

For more on bioluminescent dinoflagellates, look here.
For more information on the bio-bay in Vieques, check out http://www.biobay.com

Photosynthetic Sea Slug

An interesting organism to look into: Elysia chlorotica. 

This sea slug has a symbiotic relationship with algae that has resulted in the ability to manufacture chlorophyll, the chemical required for photosynthesis. By ingesting photosynthetic algae over many generations, it is proposed that some of the algae's genes, most importantly the ones responsible for chlorophyll production, have become incorporated into the genome of Elysia chlorotica.
Read the article bellow for more information:
Green Sea Slug

PBS Documents Atlanta Gardeners

I encourage everyone to have at least herbs growing somewhere in your home. If you have the time and space to grow your own fruits and vegetables, even better. It is important to understand where food actually comes from and the work that is required to create what we purchase at the store.

Introduction

This blog is for use by students of North Spring High School and parents. I will post links that I find interesting and useful for science students. Feel free to leave comments and start any discourse on the page, as I will check and update it weekly.

The picture here is of a Silkie, a unique breed of chicken. They have blue skin and bones, as their plumage is soft and said to resemble silk. These chickens lay very small eggs and have an even temperament, making them a great pet.