Ocean optics is a field of study that focuses on the interaction of light with water and its constituents, including phytoplankton, dissolved organic matter, sediments, and other materials present in the ocean. It encompasses various scientific disciplines, including physics, chemistry, and biology, to understand how light behaves in marine environments. Key aspects of ocean optics include: 1. **Light Propagation**: This involves understanding how light penetrates the ocean's surface, scattering and absorbing as it travels through water.
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Ocean optics relates measured light in seawater to optical absorption, scattering of light and the underwater angular light field. Water, dissolved substances and suspended particles all contribute, so ocean color is not determined by one pigment concentration alone.
A transmission measurement through a known water path constrains beam attenuation; detectors at selected angles measure scattered light; an upward-looking instrument measures downwelling irradiance. These observables answer different questions. In particular, a diffuse attenuation coefficient includes angular redistribution and need not equal the material's absorption coefficient. Comparing several measurements helps separate mechanisms that one emerging optical spectrum cannot uniquely determine.