Scientists Discover Link Between Ocean Microbes and the Atmosphere

Scientists have made a connection between the aerosols created by ocean spray and its effect on cloud formation and the way sunlight is dispersed across the ocean surface.

A new study published on Monday suggests microbes in the ocean could affect the chemistry of ocean spray, and influence the exchange between sky and sea.

In a series of recent lab experiments, scientists at the Center for Aerosol Impacts on Climate and the Environment modeled the interactions between microbe-laden water droplets and the atmosphere. The goal for researcher Kimberly Prather and her colleagues was to determine how different microbes and their molecular byproducts might affect sea spray's ability to form clouds.

"It is exciting to finally be able to find a connection between microbes in seawater and atmospheric sea spray," said Kimberly Prather, a distinguished chair in atmospheric chemistry with appointments at Scripps and the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UC San Diego.

"These chemical changes ultimately affect the reflectivity of marine clouds and thus could have profound impacts on climate over a large portion of the planet."

Researchers were able to recreate phytoplankton blooms by bringing some 3,400 gallons of natural California seawater into the lab, according to the press release. Different concentration of phytoplankton were tested in what researchers call an ocean-atmosphere wave machine.

The results of the study offers greater insight into how intricate interactions between ocean microbes, influence the ability of sea spray aerosols to form clouds. Based on this, researchers can create more accurate climate models in the future.

Watch the ACS Webinar "From Floods to Drought: How Aerosols Impact our Climate" below: