Glowing ocean life
Anglerfish lures, vampire squid, glowing sharks and the jellyfish that changed biology.
A field guide to bioluminescence
Life that makes its own light
In the dark of the deep sea, on summer lawns, in rotting logs and on midnight beaches, living things glow. Not by reflecting light, and not by burning anything – but by running a chemical reaction that gives off light instead of heat.
Welcome to Living Light: a guide to the creatures that glow, how they do it, and where you can see it for yourself.
Explore
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Fireflies and friends
Beetles that flash in code, cave glowworms that fish with light, and a worm that glows red.
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Glowing fungi
Foxfire, ghost mushrooms and the forest floors that glow green all night.
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How living light works
Luciferin, luciferase, cold light – and why the sea glows blue while fireflies glow yellow-green.
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Where to see it
Bioluminescent bays, glowworm caves and firefly festivals you can actually visit.
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Glow facts
Short, surprising, true. Each one has a share button so you can pass it on.
Why it matters
Bioluminescence is not a rare curiosity. In the open ocean, most animals living in the water column can make light – by one estimate about 80 percent of them – which arguably makes it one of the most common forms of communication on Earth. The ability has evolved independently dozens of times, in bacteria, fungi, insects, fish, squid, jellyfish, worms and more.
It has also changed science. A glowing protein from a jellyfish became one of the most widely used tools in biology, and the firefly's light-making enzyme is used every day in quick hygiene tests that detect traces of living material.