OUR MANIFEST DESTINY IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE
Editor's Note: Reese K. ('18) read a New York Times article on the bristlemouth fish for his chemistry class
The New York Times science synopsis, Fish by the Trillions in the Twilight Zone, explains the phenomenon that is the bristlemouth fish. This fish, which might claim the title of Earth's most populous vertebrate, dwells in the area of the ocean nicknamed the “Twilight Zone.” The “Twilight Zone,” also known to scientists as the Bathypelagic Zone, is the ocean region from 200 meters to 1000 meters in depth; it is graced by meager sunlight and inhabited by fascinating animals. One of these eerie lifeforms is the aforementioned bristlemouth fish, or Gonostomatidae. This one-to-three-inch fish, living in the trillions, appears as tan-to-black in color when not using its ghostly cloaking device. The scientific anomaly surrounding this fish lies in the cloaking device that the bristlemouth uses to disappear from its predators. Practicing counter-illumination, bristlemouths are able to blend in with surrounding light and camouflage themselves from both their predators and their prey.
My personal interest was piqued by this story because of my love and interest for the ocean. The Twilight zone, Midnight zone, Abyssal Zone, and Hadal Zone are all areas within our planet; however, we know less about them than we do about the surface of our moon. As an inhabitant of Earth, a planet taken up by 70% water, I feel that we have a certain obligation and need to not only understand, but protect our oceans. Studying the somewhat magical abilities and traits of the animals living thousands of meters below sea level is unlocking a subsect of biology that scientists are only beginning to understand. The bottom of the ocean is one of Earth's last frontiers. As a person whose childhood was mystified by the exploits of Lewis, Clark, and the Westward Expansion, I feel a certain manifest destiny to encourage, and maybe even take part in, the uncovering of the ocean’s secrets.
My personal interest aside, educating and learning about the ocean’s vastness is crucial in our ability to protect it. For example, when the disastrous BP oil spill occurred in 2010, we were only able to understand and counteract the damage caused to the ocean because of our knowledge of it. You cannot cure a disease until you study its symptoms, and the same ideology holds when it comes to protecting all of the ocean’s creatures, from Blue Whales to Gonostomatidae. This protection of our oceans is why studying it is so important, not to mention the possibilities of using the incredible abilities of these amazing animals to further our worlds technology. Like space exploration this oceanic exploration is essential, our resources are running out and we need to put time and thought into resources that aren't going anywhere. The ocean is a perfect example of a “reliable” resource, harnessing the immense power of the tides and water in general has been one of the more promising forms of alternative energy. Understanding how to harness this energy so our world can still function while doing it in away that allows the world of the Gonostomatidae to function as well is essential.
Bibliography:
Broad, William J. "Dark Region of Ocean May Shed Light on Climate Change and Other Issues." The New York
Times. The New York Times, 29 June 2015. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.
"Science News That Stuck With Us in 2015." The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 Dec. 2015. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.
My personal interest was piqued by this story because of my love and interest for the ocean. The Twilight zone, Midnight zone, Abyssal Zone, and Hadal Zone are all areas within our planet; however, we know less about them than we do about the surface of our moon. As an inhabitant of Earth, a planet taken up by 70% water, I feel that we have a certain obligation and need to not only understand, but protect our oceans. Studying the somewhat magical abilities and traits of the animals living thousands of meters below sea level is unlocking a subsect of biology that scientists are only beginning to understand. The bottom of the ocean is one of Earth's last frontiers. As a person whose childhood was mystified by the exploits of Lewis, Clark, and the Westward Expansion, I feel a certain manifest destiny to encourage, and maybe even take part in, the uncovering of the ocean’s secrets.
My personal interest aside, educating and learning about the ocean’s vastness is crucial in our ability to protect it. For example, when the disastrous BP oil spill occurred in 2010, we were only able to understand and counteract the damage caused to the ocean because of our knowledge of it. You cannot cure a disease until you study its symptoms, and the same ideology holds when it comes to protecting all of the ocean’s creatures, from Blue Whales to Gonostomatidae. This protection of our oceans is why studying it is so important, not to mention the possibilities of using the incredible abilities of these amazing animals to further our worlds technology. Like space exploration this oceanic exploration is essential, our resources are running out and we need to put time and thought into resources that aren't going anywhere. The ocean is a perfect example of a “reliable” resource, harnessing the immense power of the tides and water in general has been one of the more promising forms of alternative energy. Understanding how to harness this energy so our world can still function while doing it in away that allows the world of the Gonostomatidae to function as well is essential.
Bibliography:
Broad, William J. "Dark Region of Ocean May Shed Light on Climate Change and Other Issues." The New York
Times. The New York Times, 29 June 2015. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.
"Science News That Stuck With Us in 2015." The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 Dec. 2015. Web. 10 Jan. 2016.
