SURPRISINGLY, if a fish swimming in the ocean wants to be invisible to
predators, the clever colour to be is not sea blue—it’s red. In a
mathematical model of how light travels through a tropical ocean, Sönke
Johnsen of Duke University in North Carolina has shown that red light scatters
most evenly in the ocean at depths greater than 20 metres. So although fish
nearest the surface are hard to spot from above if they’re blue, any swimming
deeper than 20 metres are less likely to be seen by predators if they’re red
(Proceedings of the Royal Society…
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New ÒÁÈ˾þÃ
Explore the latest news, articles and features

Mind
Vocal fry is more common in men, actually, find scientists
News

Environment
Will burying dead trees after a wildfire keep their carbon locked up?
News

Technology
3 things you need to know about quantum computers, from an expert
Comment

Environment
Melting of Greenland ice sheet could release methane 'fire ice'
News
Popular articles
Trending New ÒÁÈ˾þà articles
1
Why autism pioneer Uta Frith wants to dismantle the spectrum
2
Neanderthals treated a dental cavity by drilling into the tooth
3
Asteroid set to fly very close to Earth
4
Where did the laws of physics come from? I think I've found the answer
5
Rebooting stem cells builds aged muscles and assists injury recovery
6
Vocal fry is more common in men, actually, find scientists
7
A new tectonic plate boundary could be forming in southern Africa
8
PCOS has been officially renamed PMOS, and it’s a momentous move
9
3 things you need to know about quantum computers, from an expert
10
Can floating data centres meet AI's huge energy demand?