Scientists Find Their First Biofluorescent Reptile, A Pacific Sea Turtle

By Guest Writer

That’s not a “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle” floating before your eyes. You’re seeing the first biofluorescent reptile discovered by scientists.

While filming small sharks and coral reefs in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, marine biologists had a stunning encounter with a “glowing” sea turtle.

Scientists captured footage of a hawkbill sea turtle emitting neon green and red light. The discovery was made in late July by David Gruber of the City University of New York and his team. The footage was released for the first time on Monday.

Gruber, an emerging explorer for National Geographic, described the turtle as an alien spaceship when he initially saw it swimming in the water.

“It was absolutely gorgeous,” Gruber said in an interview with CNN. The turtle swam into the team’s lights while they were filming coral underwater. The turtle’s appearance was unexpected and took everyone by surprise, he said.

In just a few years, scientists have started to pay more attention to biofluorescence in marine species.

“It’s a bit like a mystery novel,” Gruber said. “It started with jellyfish and coral, and the fluorescent molecules jellyfish and coral create has lead to monumental breakthroughs in biomedical science.”

Fluorescence has helped provide a marker for scientists to see …read more

Read more here: Aqua Nerd