Science @ Work
More than 2,000 feet (628 meters) under the surface of the ocean, the enormous tentacles of a giant squid emerged from the darkness. It was responding to the light of an electronic jellyfish called an “e-jelly.” When the giant squid saw the e-jelly flashing, it was most likely looking to devour the jellyfish’s attacker. Instead, it became the first giant squid ever captured on video in its natural habitat.
For this 2012 expedition off the coast of Japan, Edith Widder and other marine scientists had teamed up to search for the elusive giant squid. Widder brought a camera she had designed “that could see without being seen.” It captures images in far-red light, which is invisible to most deep-sea inhabitants. She had also created the e-jelly. It was intended to mimic the bioluminescent display of a jellyfish under attack,
