Moken sea nomads

The Moken, one of the world’s last sea-nomad communities living around the Andaman Sea, have attracted scientific attention for their remarkable ability to see clearly underwater without goggles. Research suggests that Moken children develop unusually high underwater visual acuity through prolonged exposure to diving and marine activities from an early age.

About the Moken:

• The Moken are traditionally sea-nomadic people living across the Andaman Sea, particularly around the coastal areas of Myanmar and Thailand.
• They have traditionally moved between islands using wooden boats known as kabang, following seasonal patterns and tides.
• Their traditional livelihood includes fishing, diving and gathering shellfish.
• Moken children are exposed to the marine environment from a very young age, including frequent underwater diving.

Underwater Vision:

• Moken children can open their eyes underwater and identify small objects such as clams against the seabed without using goggles.
• Research published in Current Biology found that Moken children’s underwater visual acuity was about 6.06 cycles per degree, compared with 2.95 cycles per degree among European children.
• Thus, Moken children demonstrated more than twice the underwater visual acuity measured in the European children in the study.
• Scientists suggest that repeated underwater activities may train the visual system to make better use of available light and visual information.

Why is the Ability Special?

• The adaptation appears to be particularly pronounced in children.
• Researchers suggest that the eye’s lens becomes less flexible with age, potentially limiting the ability to maintain this specialised underwater visual adaptation.
• The phenomenon demonstrates how human sensory systems can adapt to environmental conditions through development and repeated experience.

Source: ET

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