Ocean's Color Can Change Hurricane Patterns : TreeHugger

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/08/oceans-color-can-change-hurricane-patterns.php

Recent research shows that the color of the ocean can have a big influence on the occurence of hurricanes -- the greener the ocean, the more hurricanes. And that's a good thing. The ocean's tint comes from the presence of chlorophyll, the green pigment in phytoplankton that helps the organisms convert sunlight into food, and thus forms the foundation of the oceanic food chain, as well as a prime environment for hurricanes. However, as we recently pointed out in another study, warming temperatures of the oceans are having a negative impact on phytoplankton populations, which have dropped 40% over the last 60 years. And that means fewer hurricanes as well.