Propagation of Bioluminescent Signals to Near-Surface from Mesopelagic Waters

Bioluminescence is a striking and ubiquitous source of light in the global ocean, utilized in a variety of ecologically important communication, camouflage, and predator deterrence functions. It can be prevalent in surface waters at night and at most times in mesopelagic waters (≈200-1000m) where ambient light approaches a weak, asymptotic radiance field. The propagation of bioluminescent signals, and therefore the distance at which these signals can be detected, is dependent upon the inherent optical properties (IOPs) of the water column. The effects of IOPs on the propagation of light from isotropic point sources embedded in bioluminescent layers were examined in terms of emitted signal against background radiance throughout the water column, i.e., a metric defining the required ability to detect the emissions.