16 THE WEALTH OF THE SEA 



to tumble upward to the surface, and are killed by 

 the distension of their bodies and the disruption of 

 their tissues from diminished pressure. One might 

 say that they die a violent death from falling 

 upward ! 



A landlubber's first impression of the ocean is one 

 of striking beauty, and those who were reared near 

 the sea love it and are seldom content far from it. 

 Few scenes surpass the beauty of a sunset at sea. 

 Although the great body of the open ocean has a 

 definite, clear blue color, its apparent color is always 

 changing ; and, because it is so changeable, we never 

 grow tired of it. Its diversity in appearance is 

 caused partly by the reflection of the constantly 

 changing sky and partly by varying light conditions. 



Some parts of the ocean are variously tinted 

 because of impurities in the water or minute organ- 

 isms present in great quantity. The Red Sea is so 

 named because of the reddish color given it by 

 certain plankton. Different intensities of green and 

 yellow tints occur near land. The olive-green tint 

 of the Antarctic Ocean is caused by enormous quan- 

 tities of diatoms suspended in the water. Streaks of 

 unusual colors are also noted occasionally in the 

 open ocean; many travelers have observed stretches 

 of water of a brilliant red tint. Oceanographers who 

 have towed their plankton nets through such waters 

 have found large numbers of minute red organisms, 

 usually dinoflagellates. 



Light from the sun penetrates the ocean to vary- 

 ing depths, depending upon the clarity of the water 



