# 530: A Living Highlighter

- Show: [Embedded.fm](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm)
- Published: 2026-07-25
- Length: 1h 08m
- Episode: 530
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-07-25-530-a-living-highlighter
- Listen: https://embedded.fm/episodes/530

## Summary

Marine biologist Dr. Steven Haddock of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) discusses his book, The Radiant Sea, co-authored with Sönke Johnsen, which documents living deep-sea organisms. He explains the high-sensitivity 4K camera technology and ROV systems required to capture bioluminescence and transparency in the deep ocean, noting ISO levels up to 80,000. Haddock details how organisms like disco clams use structural colors and jellyfish use bioluminescence for communication and defense, while highlighting the biotechnological applications of GFP in medical research.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-07-25-530-a-living-highlighter#t=6) Introduction: Dr. Steven Haddock and MBARI
- [1:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-07-25-530-a-living-highlighter#t=82) The Radiant Sea Book and Lightning Round
- [5:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-07-25-530-a-living-highlighter#t=346) Photographing Living Deep-Sea Organisms
- [14:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-07-25-530-a-living-highlighter#t=884) ROV Technology and High-Sensitivity Cameras
- [24:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-07-25-530-a-living-highlighter#t=1466) Bioluminescent Ink and Escape Strategies
- [30:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-07-25-530-a-living-highlighter#t=1800) Bioluminescence, Fluorescence, and GFP Applications
- [35:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-07-25-530-a-living-highlighter#t=2122) Disco Clams and Structural Colors
- [45:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-07-25-530-a-living-highlighter#t=2710) Vantablack and Super-Black Fish
- [54:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-07-25-530-a-living-highlighter#t=3276) Biomimetics and Jellyfish Blooms
- [1:01:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-07-25-530-a-living-highlighter#t=3673) Recent Discoveries and Surprises

## Topics

- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (company)
- The Radiant Sea (product)
- Sönke Johnsen (other)
- MBARI (company)
- UC Santa Cruz (company)
- GFP (other)
- disco clams (product)
- ROV (product)
- 4K camera (product)
- vantablack (material)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [166. Jellyfish Cyborgs Help Explore The Oceans & Solve Climate Change](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2024-03-19-166-jellyfish-cyborgs-help-explore-the-oceans-solve-climate-change) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [Episode Seventeen – Bioinspired Robots: learning from nature](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2022-06-13-episode-seventeen-bioinspired-robots-learning-from-nature) (Robot Talk)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2026-07-25-530-a-living-highlighter. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Embedded.fm.