Sunlight contains the entire spectrum of electromagnetic
wavelengths we perceive as colors. Yet, by itself, sunlight is perfectly clear and
colorless. When filtered through a prism the colors fan out into those we can perceive and
some we can't.
Seawater contains all the elements of life,
Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Sulfur, Sodium, calcium, potassium,
magnesium, iron, iodine; a total of 96 basic elements. Seawater, pure, filtered, open
ocean seawater, is colorless and perfectly clear.
A living coral polyp on Sea's floor is visible, colorful, alive. Yet
a qualitative analysis of the elements in a living coral polyp would reveal it is
identical in composition with sea water. All of the same elements are present, but the
concentrations of a some, especially carbon, phosphorous, and nitrogen, are greater than
in open sea water. The arrangement of the elements, and they way they move, is much
different than in the open sea water.
The colors of the living coral
polyp result from the prismatic effect of certain
organic molecules. The arrangement of the elements
of sea inside tiny zooxanthellae
between the coral cells alters the flow of sunlight
to produce the pastel coral colors of green,
blue, brown and yellow. Without these, the coral
tissues themselves are almost as transparent
as the sea water they are made of.
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