New England ExplorersExploration & Adventurers in New England

Before the mid-1800s, most people dwelled in places where the night often brought complete blackness. If a person ventured outside at night, there would be times when they stumbled on a world of luminous organisms living in our forests and bays. Some of these instances could be frightening and have been the origin of local lore.

We now live in an age of illumination and have lost touch with the strange world of bioluminescence. The dark conditions needed are now eliminated by the light pollution around us. Because of this, most people are only aware of one of the six members of this microcosm, the firefly.

In 2015 we plan to hunt down all of New England creatures that exhibit bioluminosity. Though we will start with the familiar firefly, our journey will take us from the sea to the dark swamps and forests. Using our OpenROV and being patient explorers, we hope to capture photos and images of these amazing organisms in their natural habitats.

Comb Jellyfish

We’ll share the data, science and the lore we gather along the way. We hope to enable others with the where, when and how they can also see these creatures in their own part of the New England. Something unique for all to enjoy.

We’re already aware of where and when we can find several of these luminous creatures, but there are still some that will take a while to find. Another hurdle we have to jump is how to capture the low light of creatures’ glow on video. We already have plans in the works on how to prepare for what is to come. Stay tuned!

~Michael