43,060 observations.
This is a single column of ocean, from the sunlit surface at the top to the abyss far below. Every point of light is a real sighting of a bioluminescent organism, set at the depth it was found and colored by its phylum. Near the surface the water is thick with glow; the deeper you read, the rarer and dimmer the light, until only a few embers burn in the dark.
Hover or tap any glow to read its species, group, depth, and the year it was logged. Choose a phylum in the legend to follow one color of light down through the water.
Data: bioluminescent organism sightings aggregated from GBIF and OBIS, 1872 to 2025. Sightings without a recorded depth drift near the surface and are marked as such.