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Harmful Algae
Is The Ocean Really Blue?
Color System

Santa Cruz Harbor SLVHS

About - 2011
Data - 2011
About - 2010
Data - 2010

Links

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At the Santa Cruz wharf, we monitor the
ever-changing color of the water. Water color varies through time, from blues and greens to gray, brown, and even bright orange. Many factors contribute to what our eyes perceive when we look at the water, including turbidity, light level, weather, and phytoplankton.

Find more photos of the Santa Cruz water color on Instagram at #scwwatercolor, and if you are in Santa Cruz, add your own!

 


Want to create a color chart like one one we're using in Santa Cruz? Grab a fan deck of Sherwin-Williams paint colors and this guide to make your own! Or print out the PDF below and take it with you on your next trip to the ocean.

Click here for a printable PDF.


Who picks the colors?

The 32 colors we use were selected from the Munsell color system. The Munsell system is commonly used in oceanography, as well as other fields ranging from soil science to dentistry, forensics, even beer brewing! Using a standard set of colors allows samplers in different locations to accurately compare colors. The complete color chart is below. Click here for a printable PDF.

Munsell