  By considering the structure of holococcoliths (calcite plates that cover
holococcolithophores, a haploid phase of the coccolithophore life cycle) as a
photonic structure, we apply a discrete dipolar approximation to study the
light backscattering properties of these algae. We show that some holococcolith
structures have the ability to scatter the ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This
property may represent an advantage for holococcolithophores possessing it, by
allowing them to live higher in the water column than other coccolithophores.
