Radiant reefs found deep in the Red Sea : Nature News & Comment
Marine scientist found corals 50-60m below surface that glow yellow,
orange, and red as opposed to green like in shallow-water.
“Jörg Wiedenmann, a
molecular biologist at the University of Southampton, UK, and suggests that
corals at different depths may change colours because they use fluorescent
proteins for different purposes.”
Corals use fluorescent protein as sunscreen to protect their symbiotic algae
– zooxanthelae. The proteins soak up harmful ultraviolet rays and re-emit green
light.
In deeper waters, there is less sunlight meaning that corals there glow
red, yellow and orange to get more light to their algae for photosynthesis.
"It may well be
that these fluorescent proteins help the corals to improve the light
environment at depth,” says Wiedenmann.
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