Dappled light

Before sunlight reaches a subject it can be modified when it passes through materials resulting in patterns of lighter and darker illumination that is said to be dappled. The classic example is light passing through leaves on trees or between trees. Light under water can be dappled as well. Light passing through the surface of water is bent by refraction in accordance with surface conditions. Waves will focus and thus dapple light into patterns that can appear weblike.

Trade winds power on Maui
Dappled-light aerial view showing the Kahea Wind Power wind farm on West Maui, Hawaii, USA that is positioned to capture power from the trade winds that funnel through Maui's central valley.
Aerial Hawaii Spring United States dappled light electricty generation generator green power renewable resource wind power
Coho in dappled light
Coho Salmon (Oncorhyncus kisutch) undergoing final maturation while schooled in a staging area adjacent to spawning grounds in the shadowy illumination of dappled light.
Actinopterygii Animal Autumn Biology Chordata Class Actinopterygii Coho Salmon Ecology Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus kisutch Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Silver Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate biological biosphere chordate dappled light in situ living naturalworld nature organism staging underwater underwaterphoto wild
Staging in dappled light
Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhyncus nerka) undergoing final maturation while schooled in a staging area just downstream of spawning grounds in the shadowy illumination of dappled light. The ocean bright Coho Salmon (O. kisutch) in the background is a more recent arrival.
Actinopterygii Animal Autumn Biology Chordata Class Actinopterygii Coho Salmon Ecology Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus kisutch Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Reproductive behavior Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Silver Salmon Sockeye Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate biological biosphere chordate courtship dappled light in situ living naturalworld nature nuptial coloration ocean bright organism staging underwater underwaterphoto wild
Waiting under dappled light
A newly arrived near ocean bright Coho Salmon (Oncorhyncus kisutch) male positions himself above and downstream of a Sockeye Salmon (O. nerka) that has already changed to nuptial coloration. Each will spawn nearby once maturation is complete.
Actinopterygii Animal Autumn Biology Chordata Class Actinopterygii Coho Salmon Ecology Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus kisutch Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Reproductive behavior Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Silver Salmon Sockeye Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate biological biosphere chordate courtship dappled light in situ living naturalworld nature nuptial coloration ocean bright organism run timing staging underwater underwaterphoto wild
Web of dappled light
Surface ripple has dappled the sunlight creating a web-like abstract on this Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) that is part way through its change from ocean bright to nuptial coloratiion, which is cocomitant to sexual maturation.
Actinopterygii Animal Autumn Biology Chordata Class Actinopterygii Coho Salmon Ecology Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus kisutch Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Silver Salmon Sockeye Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate biological biosphere chordate in situ living naturalworld nature organism underwater underwaterphoto wild
Dappled light in a stream
Dappled light illuminates a mature Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhyncus nerka) in nuptial coloration swimming in a forested stream. A southern form Dolly Varden Charr (Salvelinus malma lordi) is lurking in the shadows on the left side of the frame.
Actinopterygii Animal Autumn Biology Chordata Class Actinopterygii Dolly Varden Dolly Varden Char Dolly Varden Charr Dolly Varden Charr southern form Ecology Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus kisutch Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Reproductive behavior Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Salvelinus malma Salvelinus malma lordi Seacam underwater housing Sockeye Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate biological biosphere chordate courtship dappled light in situ living naturalworld nature nuptial coloration organism underwater underwaterphoto wild
$Refracted dappled light$
Refracted dappled light
A shat of refracted and dappled light shines on the head of this matuing Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch).
Actinopterygii Animal Autumn Biology Chordata Class Actinopterygii Coho Salmon Ecology Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus kisutch Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Silver Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate biological biosphere chordate dappled light in situ living naturalworld nature organism refracted light refraction underwater underwaterphoto wild
Sockeye Salmon spawning pair
Shafts of light in a forest stream illuminate a Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) spawning pair. Aspect Ratio = 1:2.
Actinopterygii Alaska wild salmon Animal Autumn Biology Chordata Class Actinopterygii Ecology Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Reproductive behavior Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Sockeye Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate anadromous anadromy biological biosphere chordate courtship dappled light diadromous diadromy fresh water freshwater in situ living lotic migratory naturalworld nature nuptial coloration organism semelparity semelparous stream under fresh water underwater underwaterphoto wild wild salmon
Coho in dappled light
Recently arrived in fresh water, these ocean bright Coho Salmon (Oncorhyncus kisutch) are maturing while schooled in a staging area adjacent to spawning grounds in the shadowy illumination of dappled light.
Actinopterygii Animal Autumn Biology Chordata Class Actinopterygii Coho Salmon Ecology Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus kisutch Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Silver Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate biological biosphere chordate dappled light in situ living naturalworld nature organism underwater underwaterphoto wild
Salmon spawning habitat
Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) swirling about defending spawning territories in a dappled stream. Several of the females are guarding redds having already spawned.
Actinopterygii Animal Biology Chordata Class Actinopterygii Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Sockeye Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate biological chordate dappled light living nature organism summer topside underwaterphoto wild
Sockeye in dappled light
Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhyncus nerka) at various stages of maturaton while schooled in a staging area near spawning grounds in the shadowy illumination of dappled light.
Actinopterygii Alaska Animal Biology Chordata Class Actinopterygii Copper River Delta Ecology Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Reproductive behavior Saddlebag Creek Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Sockeye Salmon South Central Alaska Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biological biosphere chordate courtship dappled light in situ jack jack salmon living naturalworld nature nuptial coloration ocean bright organism precocial male precocious male run timing staging underwater underwaterphoto wild
Sockeye Salmon spawning pair
Dappled light in a forest stream illuminates a Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) spawning pair. Aspect Ratio = 2:3.
Actinopterygii Animal Biology Chordata Class Actinopterygii Ecology Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus nerka Pacific salmon Phylum Chordata Red Salmon Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Sockeye Salmon Subclass Neopterygii Summer Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate biological biosphere chordate in situ living naturalworld nature organism underwater underwaterphoto wild
Dappled grizzly
In the dappled light of a forest stream, a Brown (Grizzly) Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) wades in a stream while searching for salmon to eat.
Animal Biology Chordata Clade Eutheria Class Mammalia Ecology Order Carnivora Phylum Chordata Ursidae Ursus arctos Ursus arctos horribilis Vertebrate biological biosphere brown bear chordate grizzly bear in situ living mammal naturalworld organism topside underwater
dappled bracken
Dappled Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum) growing near a salmon stream.
Alaska Biology Bracken Cordova Eccles Creek Family Dennstaedtiaceae Kingdom Plantae Order Dennstaedtiales Plant Prince William Sound Pteridium aquilinum Pteridophyta Pteridopsida South Central Alaska Spring United States biological living organism
Bull's Eye
Dappled light bull's eye pattern on this Coastal Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii) from refraction of light by surface waves resulting from surface feeding by a conspecific.
Actinopterygii Alaska Animal Biology Chordata Class Actinopterygii Coastal Cutthroat Trout Cordova Eccles Creek Ecology Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Oncorhynchus clarkii Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii Pacific trout Phylum Chordata Prince William Sound Reproductive behavior Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing South Central Alaska Spring Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biological biosphere breeding colors chordate courtship dappled light female in situ living naturalworld nature nuptial coloration organism underwater underwaterphoto wild
Searun Coastal Cutthroat Trout in a small stream
Searun Coastal Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii) in the dappled light of a small tributary of Prince William Sound, Alaska. There are Salminicola parasites on the right pectoral fin of the nearest trout.
Actinopterygii Alaska Alaska wild salmon Animal arthropod Arthropoda Biology Chordata Class Actinopterygii Class Hexanauplia Coastal Cutthroat Trout Cordova Eccles Creek Ecology Infraclass Teleostei Invertebrate Lernaeopodidae Neopterygii Oncorhynchus clarkii Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii Order Siphonosstomatoida Pacific trout Phylum Arthropoda Phylum Chordata Prince William Sound Salmincola californiensis Salmonidae Salmoniformes Salmoninae Seacam underwater housing Searun Coastal Cutthroat Trout South Central Alaska Spring Subclass Copepoda Subclass Neopterygii Subphyllum Crustacea Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biological biosphere chordate copepod crustacean dappled light diadromous diadromy fresh water freshwater gill maggot in situ iteroparity iteroparous living lotic marine life migratory naturalworld nature organism searun stream under fresh water underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild wild salmon wild trout
Dappled sandy bottom
A Collector Urchin (Tripneustes gratilla) holds on to a rock on the dappled sandy bottom of Kailua Bay, the Big Island, Hawaii.
Animal Big Island Biology Class Echinoidea Echinodermata Ecology Hawaii Invertebrate Kona Phylum Echinodermata Seacam underwater housing Toxopneustidae Tripneustes gratilla United States biological biosphere collector urchin dappled light echinoderm in situ living naturalworld organism underwater winter
Dappled Yellow Tang
Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) foraging on turf algae under dappled light.
Acanthuridae Acanthuroidei Actinopterygii Animal Big Island Biology Chordata Class Actinopterygii Ecology Hawaii Infraclass Teleostei KailuaKona Kona Neopterygii Perciformes Phylum Chordata Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate Yellow Tang Zebrasoma flavescens biological biosphere chordate dappled light feeding aggregation in situ living marine life naturalworld nature organism underwater underwaterphoto wild winter
Dappled Humu
A Reef Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus rectangularis) swims over a rock and sand bottom under dappled light.
Actinopterygii Animal Balistidae Big Island Biology Chordata Class Actinopterygii Ecology Hawaii Humuhumunukunukapuaa Infraclass Teleostei Kahaluu KailuaKona Kona Neopterygii Phylum Chordata Plectognathi Reef Triggerfish Rhinecanthus rectangulus Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Tetraodontiformes United States Vertebrate biological biosphere chordate in situ living marine life naturalworld nature organism snorkeling underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild