Glowing Marine Life Discovered in Costa Rica’s Waters

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Written by Erin Raub

Costa Rica’s Isla del Coco has long been known for its untouched lands, incredible diving possibilities, shark-filled waters, and remote location. As a tourist destination, it is the most untouched, incredible location in Costa Rica, generally attracting only the most serious researchers and divers. And recently, those researchers have discovered that the beautiful island’s waters are home to micro “insects” and algae that are self-illuminatory, much like the phosphorescent creatures of other locations.

These tiny sea creatures are largely responsible for maintaining the island’s clear waters, and feeding the larger species that are so common here. The majority measure less than one millimeter, and are elusive, therefore relatively unknown to science. Their ability to glow in the dark allows them to light up the island’s waters at night, creating a dazzling, sparkling undersea light show.

The creatures’ luminescent abilities are actually a chemical reaction: when they perceive change in their surrounding environment, they let free a certain substance into the water, which creates a blue, glittery effect. To learn more about these creatures, the Center of Scientific Investigation of the Sea and Fresh Water (Cimar), of the Universidad de Costa Rica, decided to study them in depth.

On behalf of Cimar, two Costa Rican scientists, Álvaro Morales and Maribel Vargas, began to take the first inventory of each species of plankton. Plankton are defined as sea species that do not swim, but rather move around at the whim of underwater currents. The two scientists took samples of the various zooplankton (animal) and phytoplankton (plants), including larvae, worms, and algae. The samples were obtained from seven different sites around the island in order to get an appropriately varied sample.

Together, Morales and Vargas collected 395 samples from waters ranging from zero to 50 meters in depth. From their base on the MarViva ship, they detected 136 species of animal life, 68 of which are copepods, which are commonly referred to as “marine insects,” due to their prolific abundance. The majority of these zooplankton were already in the record books, though the two experts are waiting to confirm if they discovered two new species.

In addition to the ubiquitous copepods, Morales and Vargas also recorded several other important groups of marine animal life, such as gastropods (snails), arrow worms, and the larvae of many fish and crustaceans. Among the marine plant life, they catalogued more than 50 species of dinoflagellida, most of which are in the Ceratium and Ornithocercus genera.

The samples were found either stuck to rocks, or floating freely in the Isla del Coco waters, many riding the current from the Indo-Pacific. It’s already known that several of these species are responsible for the red tides, or algal blooms, that synthesize powerful toxins. With time, Costa Rican scientists and marine experts will surely learn more about the inhabitants of the beautiful island waters.

Isla del Coco is an important location for Costa Rica, serving as both an exclusive dive spot and ideal location for marine research. As scientists and professional divers research further, the island promises to unravel several more secrets of the sea.

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