Ocean biology alters the chemical composition of sea spray
in ways that influence its ability to form clouds over the ocean. That’s the
conclusion of a team of scientists using a new approach to study tiny
atmospheric particles called aerosols that can influence climate by absorbing
or reflecting sunlight and seeding clouds. By engineering breaking waves of
natural ocean water under purified air in the lab, they were able to isolate
and analyze aerosols from the spray and determine how life within the water
altered the chemistry of the particles.