This makes me realize how lucky we are that the ocean is as relatively transparent as it is, such that we can witness the beauty of ocean reefs. We might never find a way to really see how amazing this reef is. We can map it, explore it, and probably eventually render really amazing recreations of what it would look like in clear water, but we'll never see it.
I just like that they exist in places like this. Reefs are anchors for the marine eco-system. They crop up in unlikely places, and support vibrant life. Even if we can't see it, knowing that it's out there suggests life taking hold in more places. (I feel similar when I read about life around underwater thermals)
The air is transparent because those are the wavelengths we (as air creatures) evolved to see. If it wasn't, we would have evolved sight in wavelengths (or media) that was transparent: ie: sonar, x-rays.
Just to nitpick sonar is really complex hearing not sight.
I suspect it is not possible to evolve to detect X-Rays given the basic building blocks life has to work with, but yes your general idea is right. Vision has evolved independently at least half a dozen times because of this selection pressure.
That's debateable. We may simply have evolved without photon sensors.
Other wavelengths may have issues with detection or the information provided; if something can cut through obstructions in the atmosphere it may be hard to grow cells which interact with it or the rays may also ignore whatever is present locally at most scales.
The eye might be reduced in detail to the same domain as hearing or smell.
"At least 35 sections of the continental shelf were acquired by Brazilian or transnational companies for oil exploration, up to 20 of which may soon be producing oil near the reefs."
I forget who said it (Neil Tyson?), but something along the lines of: "If you hear a statistic, change the order of magnitude. Does that change how you feel about the fact? If not, the statistic is probably bullshit."
The dangers to the environment are there with any well, but it's not just Brazil that is endangering the Amazon, far upstream, in Iquitos, Peru, there are also several oil fields that are already being exploited. And (sometimes pretty violent) protests there are not because of environmental concerns but because foreign companies got the drilling rights, leaving many locals in fear they won't profit from the oil (which I get - it's a really poor area).
And I don't think environmental concerns count much in Brazil either, the economy has been in a long recession and lots of people are unemployed. Last month I did the trip from Belem (Atlantic coast), via Manaus, to Colombia on a slow boat used by locals: At least half the 500 or so passengers where going back to their villages in the jungle because in the big cities they cannot not find work anymore.
Most reefs rely on photosynthesis via a symbiotic relationship with cyanobacteria to get energy, but the water here is too cloudy. Instead many of the sponges in this reef rely on a symbiotic relationship with chemosynthetic microbes. Pretty cool!
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[ 4.4 ms ] story [ 52.9 ms ] threadI suspect it is not possible to evolve to detect X-Rays given the basic building blocks life has to work with, but yes your general idea is right. Vision has evolved independently at least half a dozen times because of this selection pressure.
Other wavelengths may have issues with detection or the information provided; if something can cut through obstructions in the atmosphere it may be hard to grow cells which interact with it or the rays may also ignore whatever is present locally at most scales.
The eye might be reduced in detail to the same domain as hearing or smell.
Sigh.
And I don't think environmental concerns count much in Brazil either, the economy has been in a long recession and lots of people are unemployed. Last month I did the trip from Belem (Atlantic coast), via Manaus, to Colombia on a slow boat used by locals: At least half the 500 or so passengers where going back to their villages in the jungle because in the big cities they cannot not find work anymore.
It is on the sea, close to its end, but not on the river itself