063: Bioluminescent Symbiosis with Margaret McFall-Ngai

November 7th, 2025

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Welcome back to the Deep-Sea Podcast, your punk take on all things deep sea!

This month the Professor is jet-setting as always, currently back in Edinburgh after a stint getting all the equipment ready in the Canary Island and is now happily being confused with professional racecar drivers.

He will be back in Perth shortly to celebrate the Deep-Sea center paper publishing streak and reconnect with his Capybara soul animal.

Thom, Andrew and Kerry are mentioned in the New Zealand Parliament- all part of Thom's excellent ability to blend in to any situation.

He also saw some amazing deep-sea exhibits and shared travel photos on the Discord, like this super cool snailfish!

Thom is being called out in New Zealand Parliament, for all the right reasons, and he spent some Deep-Sea conference time in China, avoiding typhoons and pondering science ideas.

VID-20251003-WA0094.mp4

You're Invited!

We are hosting a Holiday party over zoom this year, and the Discord Patreon is invited!

Sometime in December, with an exact date to be determined, we will celebrate Thom’s favorite holiday- Christmas (now hot Christmas New Zealand style)- with a zoom party for the Deep-Sea Podcast Discord Community.

Join us for an interactive party, with Alan dropping in from whatever corner of the world he is currently exploring, and all the friendly patreon faces live and in person- or as in person as we can get!

If you’re keen to come make sure to sign up as a Patreon pledger, not only will you be helping to support the podcast but you will also get to attend the coolest party of the year.

What's happening in our Deep-Sea Discord Community:

Bobtail Squid Fostercare
New papers published.
Thom was talked about in Parliament
Needle felted thresher sharks
Board Game recommendations
Ceramic Coelacanths
And a Juicy Booty Starfish.

Become a Patron and join our Chats!

Coelacanth by Yasuko Mayhew

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This month we are celebrating 300,000 downloads!

We couldn't have done it without you!

Our Guest This Month:

Our guest this month is Dr. Margaret McFall-Ngai, she talks us through her work on the stable beneficial relationship between the Hawaiian bobtail squid (Euprymna scolopes) and its partner, the luminous bacterium Vibrio fischeri.

Although technically not a deep-sea species, this relationship and its details might help us understand how deep-sea life creates bioluminescence and the possible life cycle impacts for the creatures involved.

Dr. McFall-Ngai is an animal physiologist and biochemist. She is staff researcher Carnegie Institution for Science’s Division of Biosphere Sciences and Engineering, with her lab stationed at the California Institute of Technology in Biology and Biological Engineering.

We would love to hear from you, have a question? Or a comment?

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Deep Sea Science + Art Collaborations and Opportunities

Connect with Deep-Sea Artists!

DSBS is launching ArtSea Matchmaking, a new initiative to pair scientists with artists for creative collaborations. Whether you’re curious about using art to share your research, reaching new audiences, or exploring your science through a creative lens — this is for you!

🔗 Sign up here

For questions about ArtSea Matchmaking, please contact Delphine Mestdagh & Lara Maleen Beckmann at art-science@dsbsoc.org.

ArtSea Matchmaking - DSBSocDSBSoc's ArtSea Matchmaking will pair scientists with artists for creative collaborations. Use art to share research and reach new audiences!

Unseen Ocean Collective. Explore the Unseen Ocean The deep ocean is Earth’s largest and least explored ecosystem. Hidden gardens - home to a vast diversity of animals, including corals and sponges- support life, store carbon, and sustain fisheries. Yet these ecosystems remain largely out of sight and are threatened by

www.unseenoceancollective.com

@unseenoceancollective

@unseenoceancollective.bsky.social

The Unseen Ocean Collective

We would love to introduce you to our newest partnership- the Unseen Ocean Collective. This newly formed collective is composed of 4 trailblazing women, Meghan Jones, Lara Beckmann, Nilanjana Das and Kierstin Keller.

This dynamic group of three artists and one scientist is widening the scope of science communication with fine art and science events in international venues.

Shrimp Friends! 16x20" acrylic on canvas, Meghan Jones, 2025

There is a new Deep Sea Art and Science Feed on Blue Sky

What is a FEED? Feeds are kind of like a subject dedicated channel on a television and allow creators to curate content. This one deals specifically with posts that have Deep- Sea Science and Art content.