Quick Take
In “The Radiant Sea,” scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute bring together a lifetime of research and photography of deep-sea creatures. A book event Friday will dive into the role of light in the ocean’s depths with a presentation, demonstration, videos and a Q&A session.
Beneath the ocean’s surface lies a dazzling world most people never see, where marine animals glow, flash, and shimmer in ways that challenge the imagination. On Friday, Steven Haddock, a senior scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, adjunct professor at UC Santa Cruz and photographer, will bring that vibrant undersea universe to life at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center in Santa Cruz, presenting his new book, “The Radiant Sea.”
Driven by this lifelong fascination, Haddock and his coauthors, scientist Sönke Johnsen and marine biologist Helen Scales, explore how deep-sea creatures like fish, invertebrates and even some bacteria use light in “The Radiant Sea.” Through bioluminescence, fluorescence and iridescence, these animals turn light into a vital tool for survival, using it to find food, attract mates, defend against predators or communicate in the dark abyss of the ocean.
Most deep-sea photography captures only preserved or dead specimens, but the images in “The Radiant Sea” show live animals in action: flashing in pinwheel displays, emitting bioluminescent particles as they swim or using counterillumination to blend into their surroundings.
The team made this possible by viewing and photographing animals with MBARI submersibles and, in some cases, collecting them with specialized remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) that descend to depths of 13,000 feet below sea level. Researchers freeze some specimens to “immortalize” them, preserving their DNA and proteins for later study. Once in the lab, researchers analyze the animals’ molecular makeup and use low-light cameras to capture their light behavior.
These methods have revealed remarkable creatures “right in our backyard” in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Haddock said. He described the siphonophore, a colonial animal that looks like a jellyfish, which twitches glowing lures to attract deep-sea fish. Another favorite of his is a new species of mollusk, “which flaps slowly through the deep sea like a creature out of Dr. Seuss.”
Haddock describes the book as a collection of his and his colleagues’ life’s work because it combines years of research with stunning photography, capturing these rarely seen creatures in their natural habitats. “We were motivated to share it with people because we’ve had this really fortunate view of nature and the ocean,” said Haddock.
Long before becoming a marine biologist, his fascination with the sea began in childhood while growing up in Southern California. Though he did not initially see it as a career path, that changed when a professor encouraged him to pursue the field at UC Santa Barbara. His curiosity eventually took him beneath the surface and onto his first graduate-school research cruise to the Bahamas, where working and diving alongside pioneers of bioluminescence ignited his interest in animal behavior and underwater light.
“There’s no going back from there and I’ve been doing it ever since,” said Haddock.
At Friday’s event, attendees will get a behind-the-scenes look at Haddock’s photography process and get to see these creatures swimming freely in the ocean through the scientists’ video footage. Haddock also hopes to offer hands-on demonstrations, including an opportunity to see fluorescence up close. Through these activities, he aims to shift perceptions of the deep sea, which is often thought of as an ugly, dark or frightening place.
“I really hope that people who see it have a greater appreciation of the diversity of life in the ocean,” said Haddock.
“The Radiant Sea” will be available for purchase at the event and is also available at local bookstores, including Two Birds Books in Pleasure Point and downtown’s Bookshop Santa Cruz, as well as online. Haddock is excited to share the book with the Santa Cruz community and inspire stewardship of our waters: “The more people that we have who empathize with these animals, then the more we’ll be able to protect the ocean and gain momentum for supporting ocean protection.”
The Radiant Sea, Unveiled event takes place Friday, Jan. 16, at the Monterey Bay National Sanctuary Exploration Center, 35 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for light refreshments and book purchases, with the presentation beginning at 6 p.m. A Q&A and book signing with the author follows from 7 to 8 p.m. No reservations are required; seating is limited and first come, first served. For more information, contact explorationcenter@noaa.gov or 831-421-9993.
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