What makes clear ocean water

And, this is what makes our area such a wonderful sight to behold — in-person or in photos! The clarity is perfect to catch a glimpse of our beautiful wildlife like turtles, dolphins, rays, and even the occasional manatee, to snorkel in and around the artificial reefs and the Underwater Museum of Art , or just float along soaking up the waves and the sun.

By Jessica Roberts Maps designate water with the color blue, and most would answer that the oceans are blue. Check out the glorious water at Watersound Beach, just off the beautiful waters of the Gulf of Mexico:. Founded in by Robert and Daryl Davis, Seaside has become…. Hey Buddy! Thank you. If there are any particles suspended in the water, they will increase the scattering of light. In coastal areas, runoff from rivers, resuspension of sand and silt from the bottom by tides, waves and storms and a number of other substances can change the color of the near-shore waters.

Some types of particles in particular, the cells of phytoplankton, also referred to as algae can also contain substances that absorb certain wavelengths of light, which alters its characteristics. The most important light-absorbing substance in the oceans is chlorophyll, which phytoplankton use to produce carbon by photosynthesis.

Due to this green pigment - chlorophyll - phytoplankton preferentially absorb the red and blue portions of the light spectrum for photosynthesis and reflect green light. So, the ocean over regions with high concentrations of phytoplankton will appear as certain shades, from blue-green to green, depending upon the type and density of the phytoplankton population there.

The basic principle behind the remote sensing of ocean color from space is this: the more phytoplankton in the water, the greener it is There are other substances that may be found dissolved in the water that can also absorb light.

Since these substances are usually composed of organic carbon, researchers generally refer to these substances as colored dissolved organic matter, CDOM for short. The study of ocean color helps scientists gain a better understanding of phytoplankton and their impact on the Earth system. These small organisms can affect a system on a very large scale such as climate change.

Phytoplankton use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and in turn provide almost half the oxygen we breathe. The larger the world's phytoplankton population, the more carbon dioxide gets pulled from the atmosphere, hence, the lower the average temperature due to lower volumes of this greenhouse gas. Scientists have found that a given population of phytoplankton can double its numbers about once per day. In other words, phytoplankton respond very rapidly to changes in their environment.

Large populations of these organisms, sustained over long periods of time, could significantly lower atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and, in turn, lower average temperatures. Carbon can be 'stored' in oceanic sediments when organic matter sinks and is buried in the ocean floor. Understanding and monitoring phytoplankton can help scientists study and predict environmental change. Since phytoplankton depend upon sunlight, water, and nutrients to survive, physical or chemical variance in any of these ingredients over time for a given region will affect the phytoplankton concentrations.

Phytoplankton populations grow or diminish rapidly in response to changes in its environment. Changes in the trends for a given phytoplankton population, such as its density, distribution, and rate of population growth or diminishment, will alert Earth scientists that environmental conditions are changing there. Then, by comparing these phytoplankton trends to other measurements - such as temperature - scientists can learn more about how phytoplankton may be contributing to, and affected by, climatic and environmental change.

Below are several color samples extracted from this image, with a brief explanation of the likely cause of the dominant color. The reef is a living structure made by coral animals. The reef itself is adapted to survive and grow in the tropical seas. As it grows, it provides a safe haven for fish and invertebrates to hide and make nests. This draws all kinds of life to the reef.

The smaller fish draw larger fish and sharks. So the reef forms the basis of a complete ecosystem.