text: Ocean turbidity is a measure of the amount of cloudiness or haziness in sea water caused by individual particles that are too small to be seen without magnification. Highly turbid ocean waters are those with many scattering particulates in them. In both highly absorbing and highly scattering waters, visibility into the water is reduced. Highly scattering (turbid) water still reflects much light, while highly absorbing water, such as a blackwater river or lake, is very dark. The scattering particles that cause the water to be turbid can be composed of many things, including sediments and phytoplankton.