Why Do Oceans Sometimes Look Green?

Sometimes the ocean looks green because of tiny plants called algae. When there are a lot of these little plants, they take in the blue light from the sun and reflect the green light back to us. It's like when you put green food coloring into water, it turns green! This is why some oceans look green on sunny days.

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Examples

  1. A beach near a river looks greener in summer when algae grow more.
  2. You see a green ocean while swimming in shallow water on a sunny day.
  3. After a big rain, the ocean near your town turns a bright green color.

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