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--Boundary_(ID_HynKzf1NP4mOyMDXzY1UPg) Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Cindy's original report re the sand of the lower part of Carter's Beach reminded me of Ursula Grigg's favourite group, the ostracods (tiny shelled crustaceans), some of which are bioluminescent and live in similar habitat -- they are less than 1 mm. in greatest dimension, I believe. Ursula for many years was the chief editor of the wonderful newsletter of the Halifax Field Naturalists, and I think now lives in New Minas? P.S. Just today by dumb conincidence, Maritime Noon's continuing series on weird marine critters with curator Gerhard Poehl?? of the Huntsman Marine Laboratory? in St. Andrews, N.B., dealt with Gerhard describing a 10-cm.-long small fish called a hatchetfish, which has rows of bioluminescent organs along its sides and lives at depths below the existence of natural light. Often the functions of such chemical light are unknown and could be social, sex attractants, defensive via warning or distraction, etc. etc. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville Begin forwarded message: > From: Christopher Majka <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca> > Date: August 5, 2008 11:50:01 AM ADT > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] red tide? > Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > > Hi Marg, > > On 5-Aug-08, at 9:35 AM, Margaret E.Millard wrote: > >> Over the years, I spent a number of evenings wandering quietly >> along Port Mouton Bay, mostly Summerville and Carter's beaches >> after dark and at this time of year I have seen a number of times >> this 'phosphoresence' which is what I was told it was. It always >> fascinated me. > > Bear in mind that bioluminescene (a.k.a. phosphoresence) is > produced by a variety of marine organisms besides dinoflagellates. > Some of my favourites are ctenophores (comb jellys). The "sea > grape" Pleurobrachia pileus, common in this area, has often been > reported as bioluminescent although there seems to be some question > as to whether this may be a species in the related genus > Euplokamis. In any event, most ctenophores are bioluminescent. > > Those interested in the subject should check out the > bioluminescence web page: > > http://www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/ > > Which has lots of sensational photos of various bioluminescent > organisms, and a lot of information on the subject. > > Cheers! > > Chris > > Christopher Majka > Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer St., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada > B3H 3A6 > c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca > > > --Boundary_(ID_HynKzf1NP4mOyMDXzY1UPg) Content-type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> Cindy's original report re the sand of the lower part of Carter's Beach = reminded me of Ursula Grigg's favourite group, the ostracods (tiny = shelled crustaceans), some of which are bioluminescent and live in = similar habitat -- they are less than 1 mm. in greatest dimension, I = believe. =A0<div><br></div><div>Ursula for many years was the chief = editor of the wonderful newsletter of the Halifax Field Naturalists, and = I think now lives in New Minas?</div><div><br></div><div>P.S. Just today = by dumb conincidence, Maritime Noon's continuing series on weird marine = critters with curator Gerhard Poehl?? of the Huntsman Marine Laboratory? = in St. Andrews, N.B., dealt with Gerhard describing a 10-cm.-long small = fish called a hatchetfish, which has rows of bioluminescent organs along = its sides and lives at depths below the existence of natural light. = =A0Often the functions of such chemical light are unknown and could be = social, sex attractants, defensive via warning or distraction, etc. = etc.<br><div><br></div><div>Cheers from Jim in = Wolfville<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: = </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica">Christopher Majka <<a = href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</a>></font= ></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">August 5, 2008 11:50:01 AM = ADT</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>= </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>Re: [NatureNS] red = tide?</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Reply-To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>= </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> Hi = Marg,<div><br><div><div>On 5-Aug-08, at 9:35 AM, Margaret E.Millard = wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote = type=3D"cite"><div>Over the years, I spent a number of evenings = wandering quietly along Port Mouton Bay, mostly Summerville and Carter's = beaches after dark and at this time of year I have seen a number of = times this 'phosphoresence' which is what I was told it was. It always = fascinated me.<br></div></blockquote><br></div><div>Bear in mind that = bioluminescene (a.k.a.=A0phosphoresence) is produced by a variety of = marine=A0organisms=A0besides dinoflagellates. Some of my favourites are = ctenophores (comb jellys). The "sea grape" <i>Pleurobrachia pileus</i>, = common in this area, has often been reported as bioluminescent although = there seems to be some question as to whether this may be a species in = the related genus <i>Euplokamis</i>. In any event, most ctenophores are = bioluminescent.</div><div><br></div><div>Those interested in the subject = should check out the bioluminescence web = page:</div><div><br></div><div><a = href=3D"http://www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/~biolum/">http://www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/= ~biolum/</a></div><div><br></div><div>Which has lots of sensational = photos of various bioluminescent organisms, and a lot of information on = the = subject.</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers!</div><div><br></div><div>Chris</= div><div><br></div><div apple-content-edited=3D"true"> <span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; = border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; = font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: = normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; = -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; = -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; = white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div = style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; = -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Christopher = Majka</div><div>Nova Scotia Museum, 1747 Summer St., Halifax, Nova = Scotia, Canada=A0 B3H 3A6</div><div><a = href=3D"mailto:c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca">c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca</a></div><= div><br class=3D"khtml-block-placeholder"></div></div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"></span> = </div><br></div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></body></html>= --Boundary_(ID_HynKzf1NP4mOyMDXzY1UPg)--
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