Emma Burkmans age 11, of Seattle, Mash., for her question

Is the Red Sea really red?

The famous Red Sea is a narrow arm of water separating Arabia from Northern Africa   and there are times when its waters are tinged with red. What's more, its coral reefs, the surrounding hills and even its seaweeds are reddish in color. The surrounding desert sands are also reddish. So we are not surprised to learn that there is more than one reason why the Red Sea is sometimes tinged with red,

Desert winds blow the shifting sands over the water and sometimes turn the water into murky red soup. The water is also the home of countless one celled algae, the smallest of green water plants, Yes, these algae have green chlorophyll under their reddish coats, In certain seasons the algae multiply in vast numbers and add a reddish bloom to the waters.