The NHRCP is proud to now offer UV Night Dives as an option for students who are looking to enhance their night diving experience! A fluorescent night dive is an altogether different kind of diving experience, so let's go into a bit of the background about what makes these dives so special.

Fluorescence is a phenomena that humankind has only been aware since the mid-1800s. Since it's discovery, fluorescence has been found in a vast array of different minerals, but most importantly for us, marine organisms. These organisms use fluorescent proteins to absorb light in the high energy ultraviolet spectrum, and re-emit it in the visible light spectrum. Under normal conditions this is difficult to observe with the naked eye, as UV light only makes up a fraction of the amount of light radiating off the sun and other pigments in coral like those that come from xoozanthellae block out much of the fluorescence. However, if we train a UV torch on organisms that contain these fluorescent proteins and look at it through an interference (a.k.a dichroic) filter, the photochemical reaction can be easily seen.

 

Studying organisms under ultraviolet light has already yielded a wealth of novel discoveries to the field of marine science, and in particular has revolutionized the fields of fluorescent microscopy, genetic engineering and psytrance festivals. For us here at the NHRCP it gives us the chance to see the coral reefs we love in an entirely different light.

We supply optional ultraviolet dive equipment when we head out on our night dives. UV torches are another tool that we can use to help us evaluate coral health, locate and observe reef organisms normally well camouflaged or hidden, increase our understanding of the reef, and open us up to a different way of observing this fascinating environment. As the use of the technology in SCUBA diving is relatively new, the potential is still unknown, and we are excited to not only enjoy the amazing visual effects of florescence, but also explore the frontiers and push the boundaries of its applications in coral reef science and conservation. Coral Spawning, an integral part of the programs work.