Why is the ocean blue?
The ocean often looks blue because sunlight shines on tiny particles suspended in the water. Along the shores of some areas, however, the water looks green because the blue water is mixed with yellow pigments present in floating plants.
Some oceans exhibit other colors:
- The Black Sea looks black because it has little oxygen and a high concentration of hydrogen sulfide.
- The Red Sea looks red because it contains seasonal blooms of algae that color the surface water red.
- The Yellow Sea looks yellow because it contains a yellow mud carried into it by adjoining rivers.
