The most important source of sediment is Earth and Rock material

carriedtotheseabytheriversandstreams;thesamematerialsmay
alsohavebeentransportedbytheglaciersandwinds.Othersourcesare
volcanicashandlava,shellsandskeletons,oforganisms,chemicals
precipitatesformedinseawater,andparticlesfromouterspace.
Wateristhemostunusualsubstancebecauseitexistsonthesurfaceon
theEarthinitsthreephysicalstates:ice,water,andwatervapor.There
areothersubstancesthatmightexistinsolidandliquidorgaseousstate
attemperaturesnormallyfoundattheEarthssurface,butthereareno
othersubstanceswhichoccurinallthreestates.
Water is odorless, tasteless, and colorless. It is the only substance
knowntoexistinanaturalstateasasolid,liquid,orgasonthesurface
oftheEarth.Itisauniversalsolvent.Waterdoesnot corrode,rust,
burn, or separates to its components easily. It is chemically
indestructible.Itcancorrodealmostinmetalanderodeinthemost
solidrock.Auniquepropertyofwateristhatitexpandsandfloatsin
waterwhenfrozenorinthesolidstate.Waterhasfreezingpointof0
degreeCelsiusandaboilingpointof100degreeCelsius.Waterhasthe
capacity for absorbing great quantities of heat with relatively little
increaseintemperature.Whendistilled,waterisapoorconductorof
electricitybutwhensaltisadded,itisagoodconductorofelectricity.
Sunlightisthesourceofenergyfortemperaturechange,evaporation,
and currents for water movement through the atmosphere. Sunlight
controls the rate of photosynthesis for all marine plants, which are
directly or indirectly the source of foods for all marine animals.
Migration,breeding,andotherbehaviorsofmarineanimalsareaffected
bylight.
Waterastheoceanorsea,isbluebecauseofthemolecularscatteringof
thesunlight.Bluelight,beingofshortwavelength,isscatteredmore
effectivelythanlightoflongerwavelengths.Variationsin
colormaybecausedbyparticlessuspendedinthewater,waterdepth,
cloud cover, temperature and other variable factors. Heavy

concentrations of dissolved materials cause a yellowish hue, while

algae cause the water to look green. Heavy of plant and animal
materialswillcausethewatertobrown.