Blue

Why Is the Ocean Blue?

By Joseph Castro, Live Science Contributor   |   March 19, 2014

It's commonly believed that the ocean is blue because it's reflecting the blue sky. But this is a misconception.

The ocean is blue because of the way it absorbs sunlight, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

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. The remaining light that we see is mostly made up of blue wavelengths.

Full Story {here}