False color image of vegetation representing ocean color.
Red areas contain the most life, while the purple areas are nearly empty of life.
Ocean areas of high productivity support more life than less productive areas. More oxygen is produced and carbon dioxide consumed in these highly productive areas of the ocean. We see color when light is reflected by objects around us. White light is made up of a spectrum or combination of colors, which are broken apart by water droplets in a rainbow. When light hits the surface of an object, the different colors can be absorbed, transmitted, scattered, or reflected in differing intensities.