Why Scientists Are Dying Ocean Waves Bright Pink

There is nothing quite like looking out across the ocean. When you’re standing on the shore of the Pacific, it’s like the world is stretching out in front of you, and it can be difficult to tell where the ocean ends and the sky begins.

Although that is true and has been true for eons, things are now changing because of the activity of certain scientists.

Those scientists working for the University of Washington and UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography are making a change. They are dying the ocean pink.

This may seem strange, but it helps scientists study the surf zone and how freshwater flows into it. The experiment is known as “Plumes in Nearshore Conditions” (PiNc), and they consider it unique.

In a statement, the lead from the study, Sarah Giddings, spoke about how excited she was for the project. As an oceanographer, we can see why.

The specific location being worked at this time is near the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon near San Diego. The purpose of the experiment is to see how freshwater interacts with the ocean. Typically, freshwater stays toward the top because it is warmer.

The pink dye, on the other hand, provides a unique way to see how the freshwater plumes interact with the saltwater. Fortunately, the dye is environmentally safe. They even send out jet skis to test the waters.

They will use a fluorometer on jet skis and a drone to track the progress. Sensors are also put on poles in the sand. Additional sensors can measure the temperature and salinity of the water as well as the heights of the waves.

They plan on releasing additional dye in January and February. They hope they will see how pollutants and sediment affect how freshwater outflows into the saltwater.

Giddings concludes by saying: “We will combine results from this experiment with an older field study and computer models that will allow us to make progress on understanding how these plumes spread.”

It might be time to head out to the surf and see the pink waves.