The+Color+of+Ocean+Water

by: Gillian Peraza
==The oceans are a necessary asset to life on Earth. They absorb Carbon to keep our planet cool, but carry heat throughout the Earth to keep us from freezing. But the big question is....... What color is it?==



====As shown by the pictures there is not one right answer but many. Water is clear but there are certain factors that make it look like a specific color. As seen from Earth ocean water looks blue this is beacause water tends to absorb most of the wavelengths of color except blue, this is most likely because, Nitrogen, the most abundant gas in the atmosphere and therefor the water reflects the color blue. But as the picture above shows this is not always the case. Some ocean water is green. Why is that? Eventhough they are undetectable by the human eye there are small organisms in the water called phytoplankton which absorb red and blue light and reflect green causing the water to have a greenish shade. This is important because it can represent the productivity of that area of the ocean. If the water is greener this means the level of productivity is higher meaning there are more phytoplankton and life in the water. Scientists study the color of the water so they can tell if pollution or other factors are affecting the productivity of the water which causes the color to change as well.====

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Thank-you Bing for the photos.