Light in the sea
The red seaweed (Halymenia sp.), common in Malaysia.
Light penetrates the seas to a depth of only about 200 metres. This defines the photic zone where light provides energy for marine plants to photosynthesize. Only in about 2 per cent of all water bodies does any light reach the bottom. Life in the deep oceans exists in permanent darkness. As most of the seas around Malaysia lie on the shallow Sunda Shelf, they receive enough light for marine life to thrive. Phytoplankton, algae and sediments in the sea absorb and scatter different wavelengths of light in different proportions, giving parts of the seas their characteristic colours.
- Information in the full article includes
- Underwater light
- Why the sea is blue
- Roles of light
- Effects of sedimentation