Bioluminescence is what makes some ocean organisms appear to glow. It is a chemical reaction caused by the oxidation of a light producing compound known as lucifren. When this happens energy is released in the form of light. There are two main ways that organisms achieve this ability to light up the darkness.

1. Some organisms can create the light using their own specialized cells, tissues or fluids.

2. There are some species that don't produce their own light. Instead they share a symbiotic relationship with bacteria that live inside their photophores. The bacteria produce the light.

An easy way to see bioluminescence in the Puget sound is to go down to a dock when the water is calm on a warm day at night. Find a dark or shadowed area, and take a stick. Swirl the stick into the water, often you will see little green lights going of in the water. This is a form of bioluminescence caused by the decay of phosphorus.