Edith Widder: The weird and wonderful world of bioluminescence

譯者: Shirley Hsieh 審譯者: Lily Yichen Shi

So I want to take you on a trip

我想帶你們去趟旅行

to an alien world.

去個奇妙的外星世界

And it's not a trip

但是這趟

that requires light-years of travel,

不需要去光年之外的外太空

but it's to a place

我們去一個地方

where it's defined by light.

一個充滿光的地方

So it's a little-appreciated fact

一個常常被忽略的事實是

that most of the animals in our ocean

大部份的海底生物

make light.

都能自己發光

I've spent most of my career

我花了畢生心血

studying this phenomenon called bioluminescence.

在研究生物發光的奧秘

I study it because I think understanding it

因為我認為解開這個奧秘

is critical to understanding life in the ocean

對了解海底世界是非常重要的

where most bioluminescence occurs.

海底世界蘊藏最豐富的發光生物

I also use it as a tool

藉著研究生物發光體

for visualizing and tracking pollution.

我還能清楚地觀察與追蹤到環境汙染

But mostly I'm entranced by it.

但是事實上我是無可自拔地被牠們的美所吸引

Since my my first dive in a deep-diving submersible,

打從我第一次坐著小潛艇潛入海底後就著迷了

when I went down and turned out the lights

當我潛入深海，關上探照燈的刹那

and saw the fireworks displays,

看到了如煙火般的絢爛的光影

I've been a bioluminescence junky.

我就不可自拔地愛上這些發光生物

But I would come back from those dives

我必須浮上岸來

and try to share the experience with words,

將我看到的美景分享給大家

and they were totally inadequate to the task.

但是文字不足以完整地表達我所受到的震憾

I needed some way to share the experience directly.

我需要用其他更直接的方法來分享我所見的

And the first time I figured out that way

我第一次想到這個妙計是在

was in this little single-person submersible

一艘單人座、

called Deep Rover.

叫深海探險號的小潛艇裡

This next video clip,

接下來的這段影片

you're going to see how we stimulated the bioluminescence.

你將會看到我如何刺激這些會發光的海底生物

And the first thing you're going to see

首先你將看到的是

is a transect screen

一面網子

that is about a meter across.

大約有一公尺寬

(Video) Narrator: In front of the sub,

（影片）旁白：在潛艇的前方

a mess screen will come into contact

的一堆網子會接觸到

with the soft-bodied creatures of the deep sea.

許多深海裡的軟體動物

With the sub's lights switched off,

當潛艇的燈熄滅後

it is possible to see their bioluminescence --

就可以看到這些生物在發光

the light produced when they collide with the mesh.

牠們撞上網子的當下會發出光芒

This is the first time

這可是史上第一次

it has ever been recorded.

被拍攝下來

Edith Widder: So I recorded that with an intensified video camera

伊迪絲．威德：我特別用一種模擬

that has about the sensitivity

人類在完全黑暗的環境下

of the fully dark-adapted human eye.

與肉眼敏感度相同的錄像機拍攝

Which means that really is what you would see

換句話說，影片所拍攝到的就如同你自己搭一艘潛艇

if you took a dive in a submersible.

潛入海底所看到的一樣

But just to try to prove that fact to you,

為了要證明給大家看

I've brought along some bioluminescent plankton

我今天還帶來一群會發光海底浮游生物

in what is undoubtedly a foolhardy attempt

無庸至疑這可是大膽地嘗試

at a live demonstration.

實境演出

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So, if we could have the lights down

請把燈關掉

and have it as dark in here as possible,

保持越暗越好

I have a flask

玻璃瓶裡

that has bioluminescent plankton in it.

有這些會發光海底浮游生物

And you'll note there's no light coming from them right now,

你可能發現，現在什麼也看不到

either because they're dead --

要不是他們全死了

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

or because I need to stir them up in some way

就是我得想個法子把他們搖起床

for you to see what bioluminescence really looks like.

讓你們看看生物發光體的真面目

(Gasps)

（抽氣聲）

Oops. Sorry.

啊！對不起

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I spend most of my time working in the dark; I'm used to that.

我大部份時間都是在黑暗中工作，很習慣了

Okay.

好

So that light

這光

was made by a bioluminescent dinoflagellate,

是會發光的甲藻產生的

a single-celled alga.

他們是單細胞藻類的一種

So why would a single-celled alga

為什麼單細胞藻類

need to be able to produce light?

需要會發光呢？

Well, it uses it to defend itself from its predators.

它們用光來保護自己不被獵食

The flash is like a scream for help.

這些閃光就像是求救訊號

It's what's known as a bioluminescent burglar alarm,

是這些生物的防盜警鈴

and just like the alarm on your car or your house,

就像你車子或房子的防盜警鈴

it's meant to cast unwanted attention onto the intruder,

會將光線跟焦點打在入侵者的身上

thereby either leading to his capture

這樣做不是導致入侵者被逮

or scaring him away.

就是將入侵者嚇跑

There's a lot of animals that use this trick,

很多動物都用這種計倆

for example this black dragonfish.

例如這種黑色巨口魚

It's got a light organ under its eye.

在牠眼睛下方有個會發光的器官

It's got a chin barbel.

頦鬚也是

It's got a lot of other light organs you can't see, but you'll see in here in a minute.

還有其他你看不到的部位會發光，待會兒你就會看到

So we had to chase this in the submersible for quite sometime,

我們花了些時間追捕牠

because the top speed of this fish is one knot,

因為這種魚最快的速度可達一節

which was the top speed of the submersible.

跟我們的小潛艇一樣快

But it was worth it,

但是一切都是值得的

because we caught it in a special capture device,

我們用一種特殊裝備捉到牠

brought it up into the lab on the ship,

一帶到了船上的實驗室

and then everything on this fish lights up.

這條魚身上所有的發光體都亮了起來

It's unbelievable.

簡直不可思議

The light organs under the eyes are flashing.

那個在眼睛下方會發光的器官不停地在閃

That chin barbel is flashing.

頦鬚也在閃爍

It's got light organs on its belly that are flashing,

魚肚上也有個部位在閃爍

fin lights.

鰭也發著光

It's a scream for help; it's meant to attract attention.

牠其實是在尖叫求救，希望引起注意。

It's phenomenal.

太神奇了。

And you normally don't get to see this

平常是看不到這些的

because we've exhausted the luminescence when we bring them up in nets.

通常當我們拉起漁網的時候牠們的冷光已經耗盡了。

There's other ways you can defend yourself with light.

還有其他利用光來保護自己的方法。

For example, this shrimp

比如，這隻蝦

releases its bioluminescent chemicals into the water

會將自身生物發光的化學物質釋放到水中

just the way a squid or an octopus would release an ink cloud.

就和烏賊或章魚會釋放墨汁一樣。

This blinds or distracts the predator.

這會讓捕食者失明或者受到干擾。

This little squid is called the fire shooter

這隻小烏賊叫火鎗筒

because of its ability to do this.

因為牠可以這樣做

Now it may look like a tasty morsel,

也許牠現在看起來像盤可口的小點

or a pig's head with wings --

或是顆有翅膀的豬頭

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

but if it's attacked,

但是如果牠被攻擊

it puts out a barrage of light --

牠會釋放出一連串的光--

in fact, a barrage of photon torpedoes.

事實上，像一連串的光子魚雷。

I just barely got the lights out in time

還好我及時關掉我的探照燈

for you to be able to see those gobs of light

才能讓你們能看到這一團一團

hitting the transect screen

的發光物質撞擊到我們的網

and then just glowing.

持續不斷地發著光

It's phenomenal.

這的太神奇了

So there's a lot of animals in the open ocean --

廣闊的大海中有很多生物

most of them that make light.

多數都能自我發光

And we have a pretty good idea, for most of them, why.

而我們對生物為什麼要發光也已有足夠的了解

They use it for finding food, for attracting mates,

牠們以此來覓食、吸引異性

for defending against predators.

或用來抵禦捕食者。

But when you get down to the bottom of the ocean,

但是當你下潜到海底的時候，

that's where things get really strange.

那是個一切都變得很奇怪的地方。

And some of these animals

有一些動物

are probably inspiration for the things you saw in "Avatar,"

可能會讓你想起電影“阿凡達”的一些生物

but you don't have to travel to Pandora to see them.

但是你不必到潘多拉星球才能看到牠們。

They're things like this.

牠們其實就像這

This is a golden coral, a bush.

這是一欉金黃色的珊瑚群

It grows very slowly.

微微地發著光

In fact, it's thought that some of these

事實上有些珊瑚可能

are as much as 3,000 years old,

都有３千多年了

which is one reason that bottom trawling should not be allowed.

這就是為什麼海底拖網應該被禁止

The other reason is this amazing bush glows.

當然還因為這些珊瑚群所散發的美麗

So if you brush up against it,

如果你輕拂過牠們

any place you brushed against it,

你觸摸過的地方

you get this twinkling blue-green light

就會閃著藍綠色的光芒

that's just breathtaking.

真的令人難以置信

And you see things like this.

當你看到這個

This looks like something out of a Dr. Seuss book --

你可能覺得跟Dr Seuss童話繪本裡的東西相似

just all manner of creatures all over this thing.

好像所有生物的奇形怪狀都在牠身上

And these are flytrap anemones.

牠們是捕蠅海葵

Now if you poke it, it pulls in its tentacles.

如果你戳戳它的話，它會收回它的觸鬚

But if you keep poking it,

但是如果你一直戳它的話，

it starts to produce light.

它就會開始發光

And it actually ends up looking like a galaxy.

事實上看起來就像某個銀河星系

It produces these strings of light,

正散發出線狀的光芒，

presumably as some form of defense.

這其實是某種形式的自我保護

There are starfish that can make light.

還有這個會發光的海星、

And there are brittle stars that produce bands of light

會發出條狀光芒的海蛇尾

that dance along their arms.

光芒會隨著它們的觸手舞動

This looks like a plant,

這看上去像一株植物，

but it's actually an animal.

但其實是動物。

And it anchors itself in the sand

它的底盤可以像氣球一樣鼓起來

by blowing up a balloon on the end of its stock.

好把自己固定在沙子中

So it can actually hold itself in very strong currents,

以此抵擋强力的潮流

as you see here.

就像你看到的一樣

But if we collect it very gently, and we bring it up into the lab

但是如果我們小心翼翼地撿起它、帶回到實驗室中

and just squeeze it at the base of the stock,

擠壓牠的身體底盤，

it produces this light

牠就會發出這樣的光

that propagates from stem to the plume,

由觸手漫延到刺管

changing color as it goes,

還會變換色彩，

from green to blue.

由綠至藍

Colorization and sound effects

影片加入了色彩和音效

added for you viewing pleasure.

是為了增加你觀看的樂趣。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But we have no idea why it does that.

但是我們完全不知道牠為什麼要這麼做。

Here's another one. This is also a sea pen.

另外一個例子，也是牠的親戚﹣海鰓。

It's got a brittle star hitching a ride.

牠搭着海蛇尾的便車

It's a green saber of light.

閃著螢光綠

And like the one you just saw,

就像你剛看到的一樣，

it can produce these as bands of light.

牠能發出那種帶狀的光

So if I squeeze the base,

所以如果我擠壓底部，

the bands go from base to tip.

光帶會從底部傳到頂端。

If I squeeze the tip, they go from tip to base.

如果我捏頂部，就會從頂端傳到底部。

So what do you think happens if you squeeze it in the middle?

那如果我捏中間的話，你覺得會發生什麼事？

(Gasps)

（抽氣聲）

I'd be very interested in your theories about what that's about.

我很想知到你們對這些現象的解釋為何

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So there's a language of light in the deep ocean,

在深海裡存在一種光之語，

and we're just beginning to understand it,

而我們才剛剛開始了解它。

and one way we're going about that

探究的方法之一

is we're imitating a lot of these displays.

就是試著模仿這些花樣

This is an optical lure that I've used.

這是我曾用過的一個視覺誘餌

We call it the electronic jellyfish.

我們叫它電子水母。

It's just 16 blue LEDs

它有16顆藍色的發光二極體燈(LED)

that we can program to do different types of displays.

能讓我們輸入不同顯示的花樣

And we view it with a camera system I developed called Eye-in-the-Sea

我們用我所開發的海之眼攝影系統觀測它

that uses far red light that's invisible to most animals,

這系統觀測利用了大多數動物看不見的遠紅外線，

so it's unobtrusive.

所以不會引起其注意。

So I just want to show you

我想讓大家看

some of the responses we've elicited

這些深海生物

from animals in the deep sea.

被激發後的反應。

So the camera's black and white.

拍攝的錄像只有黑白

It's not high-resolution.

也不是高解析

And what you're seeing here is a bait box

你現在看到的是一盒誘餌

with a bunch of -- like the cockroaches of the ocean --

裡面有滿滿一堆像海蟑螂的

there are isopods all over it.

等足類動物

And right in the front

正前方

is the electronic jellyfish.

則是電子水母。

And when it starts flashing,

當它開始閃爍的時候，

it's just going to be one of the LEDs that's flashing very fast.

只會有一顆LED燈快速地閃動

But as soon as it starts to flash --

但是當它開始閃爍的時候

and it's going to look big, because it blooms on the camera --

看起來很巨大，那只是鏡頭的效果

I want you to look right here.

請大家注意這裡

There's something small there that responds.

有個小東西作出了回應。

We're talking to something.

那個東西

It looks like a little of string pearls basically --

基本上看起來像一小串珍珠，

in fact, three strings of pearls.

事實上，是三串珍珠。

And this was very consistent.

這樣的反應是非常一致的。

This was in the Bahamas at about 2,000 feet.

這是在巴哈馬群島2000尺深的海底

We basically have a chat room going on here,

我們在這裡有個聊天室，

because once it gets started, everybody's talking.

只要有“人“開始，大家都在說話，七嘴八舌的。

And I think this is actually a shrimp

我認為這隻是蝦

that's releasing its bioluminescent chemicals into the water.

牠正向水中釋放生物發光體的化學物質。

But the cool thing is, we're talking to it.

但是有趣的是，我們似乎正在對話。

We don't know what we're saying.

我們不知道我們說了些什麼。

Personally, I think it's something sexy.

個人覺得，應該是一些甜言蜜語。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And then finally,

最後

I want to show you some responses that we recorded

我想讓大家看一些我們

with the world's first deep-sea webcam,

用世界首台深海攝影機拍到的現象，

which we had installed in Monterey Canyon last year.

這是我們去年安装在蒙特利峡谷的。

We've only just begun to analyze all of this data.

我們才剛剛開始分析這些研究資料。

This is going to be a glowing source first,

這起初就像個光源，

which is like bioluminescent bacteria.

就好像會發光的細菌

And it is an optical cue

指引著

that there's carrion on the bottom of the ocean.

深海底部的腐肉

So this scavenger comes in,

而這隻海底清道夫循線而來

which is a giant sixgill shark.

這是一隻巨型灰六鰓鯊

And I can't claim for sure

我不能肯定

that the optical source brought it in, because there's bait right there.

是光源吸引牠而來，還是那些誘餌

But if it had been following the odor plume,

但是如果我們細究這氣味飄散的方向，

it would have come in from the other direction.

牠應該從另外一個方向來。

And it does actually seem to be trying

牠正在嘗試

to eat the electronic jellyfish.

吃掉那隻電子水母。

That's a 12-foot-long giant sixgill shark.

這是條12呎長的巨型灰六鰓鯊。

Okay, so this next one is from the webcam,

好了，下一個出場的

and it's going to be this pinwheel display.

是座旋轉輪盤

And this is a burglar alarm.

其實是個防盗警報器。

And that was a Humboldt squid,

那是洪堡魷魚，

a juvenile Humboldt squid, about three feet long.

一隻年輕的洪堡魷魚，大約３英呎長。

This is at 3,000 feet in Monterey Canyon.

這是在蒙特利峡谷海面下3000呎。

But if it's a burglar alarm, you wouldn't expect it to attack the jellyfish directly.

如果這個真的是防盗警報器，它應該不會直接攻擊那隻水母的

It's supposed to be attacking what's attacking the jellyfish.

而是反擊其他攻擊水母的生物

But we did see a bunch of responses like this.

但是我們反而觀察到一連串這樣的反應

This guy is a little more contemplative.

這傢伙正躊躇不前

"Hey, wait a minute.

“嘿，等等

There's supposed to be something else there."

這裡本來是另一個東西的”

He's thinking about it.

他正在思考這個問题。

But he's persistent.

他也很執著

He keeps coming back.

不斷徘徊

And then he goes away for a few seconds

接着牠離開了幾秒鐘

to think about it some more,

重新思考眼前的難題

and thinks,

然後想到，

"Maybe if I come in from a different angle."

"也許我需要從另一個角度進攻"

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Nope.

失敗

So we are starting to get a handle on this,

我們才剛開始着手做這些，

but only just the beginnings.

但是僅僅是初始階段。

We need more eyes on the process.

我們需要更多人力投入觀測

So if any of you ever get a chance to take a dive in a submersible,

所以如果你們其中任何一位有機會乘潜艇下潜的話，

by all means, climb in and take the plunge.

不管怎樣一定要試試下潛到深海

This is something that should be on everybody's bucket list,

這是每個人在死前一定要做的一件事

because we live on an ocean planet.

因為我們生存在一個海洋星球

More than 90 percent, 99 percent,

在我們的地球上超過百分之九十、九十九

of the living space on our planet

有生命的地方

is ocean.

就是大海

It's a magical place

那真是個神奇的地方

filled with breathtaking light shows

充滿著壯觀的光舞

and bizarre and wondrous creatures,

和奇形怪狀神祕的生物

alien life forms

像是從外太空來的

that you don't have to travel to another planet to see.

而你不必跑去另一個星球去看

But if you do take the plunge,

只需要潛入海底就行

please remember to turn out the lights.

請記得關掉你的探照燈

But I warn you,

我可得警告你

it's addictive.

這可是會上癮的

Thank you.

謝謝大家

(Applause)

（掌聲）