Why is the Pacific Ocean blue but the Atlantic Ocean green?

The Pacific and Atlantic oceans are not actually different colors. When you look at the ocean on a particular day, the color you see will depend on a variety of factors. When I last saw the Atlantic in September it looked blue, but I've also seen ... read more

That makes ‘my’ part of the Pacific Ocean seriously GREEN during the summer months (but blue in the winter). Conversely, in the SW Pacific there is comparatively little primary production and the water looks quite blue year round. read more

Sometimes the ocean appears other colors besides blue. For example, the Atlantic off the East Coast of the United States usually appears green. This is due to the presence of algae and plant life. read more

Basically, it depends on how the light hits the water, which can make any water surface in the ocean appear blue or green. read more