Why seawater is blue

Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options. Discover World-Changing Science. He sent the following reaction: "The answer to why the sky is blue isn't quite correct. Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. Sign Up. Support science journalism. The swirls of green are a phytoplankton bloom in the Gulf of California.

Changes in ocean color can be caused by a variety of sources. In this SeaWiFS image, two currents are flowing past each other. The warm Brazil Current flows south next to the shore of Argentina. The Falkland Islands can be seen at the bottom of the image. The interaction of these two currents brings nutrient-rich water from the deep ocean to the surface, providing an excellent environment for the growth of phytoplankton. The distinct populations of phytoplankton in each current can be perceived as different colors.

Recommended Articles. September 28, September 08, May 10, Episode 31 - Connected By Earth. April 28, Ask a Question. The turquoise swirls of the Malvinas Current are likely colored by a bloom of coccolithophorids. In the first image, a tendril of dark-green Brazil Current water is mixing with the lighter blue of the Malvinas Current, and in the second image, clearer water from the adjacent Atlantic Ocean is mixing with the Malvinas Current.

Coccolithophorids are phytoplankton that make microscopic spheres composed of calcium carbonate plates called coccoliths. It's commonly believed that the ocean is blue because it's reflecting the blue sky. But this is a misconception.

When sunlight hits the ocean, the water strongly absorbs long-wavelength colors at the red end of the light spectrum, as well as short-wavelength light, including violet and ultraviolet. Applied Optics.

One of the most striking things about coral is its bright coloring. But many are a dull green or brown. So, what gives some corals their bright hues? But does all our breathable air come from just land? A trip to the ocean means sun, wind, and waves. Surfers ride them. Children play in them. Swimmers dive beneath them. But what causes waves? As anyone who has tried diving to the bottom of a deep pool knows, all that water gets heavy—fast. Extreme pressure is one reason why the ocean floor is still largely unexplored.

He uses techniques that span isotope geochemistry, next generation DNA sequencing, and satellite tagging to study the ecology of a wide variety of ocean species. He recently discovered that blue sharks use warm water ocean tunnels, or eddies, to dive to the ocean twilight zone, where they forage in nutrient-rich waters hundreds of meters down.

Born in New Zealand, Simon received his B. With much of his work in the South Pacific and Caribbean, Simon has been on many cruises, logging 1, hours of scuba diving and hours in tropical environs. He has been a scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution since Gregory Skomal is an accomplished marine biologist, underwater explorer, photographer, and author.

He has been a fisheries scientist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries since and currently heads up the Massachusetts Shark Research Program. For more than 30 years, Greg has been actively involved in the study of life history, ecology, and physiology of sharks. His shark research has spanned the globe from the frigid waters of the Arctic Circle to coral reefs in the tropical Central Pacific. Much of his current research centers on the use of acoustic telemetry and satellite-based tagging technology to study the ecology and behavior of sharks.

He has written dozens of scientific research papers and has appeared in a number of film and television documentaries, including programs for National Geographic, Discovery Channel, BBC, and numerous television networks. His most recent book, The Shark Handbook, is a must buy for all shark enthusiasts. Robert D. He served in the U.