Scientists from the American Chemical Society created ocean conditions in the laboratory and found that
Through natural biological processesOceanic microbes, including bacteria, phytoplankton and viruses, produce compounds that enter the atmosphere as gases or aerosols (tiny water droplets or particles in the air). Some of these particles can scatter clouds, absorb or reflect sunlight, or otherwise affect atmospheric conditions and weather.
"It's surprising that we don't know more about the rolemicrobes in the ocean in climate change. They can influence atmospheric composition, cloud formation and weather. Humans can alter these natural processes in two ways: by changing the microbial community structure and by releasing air pollutants that react with microbial compounds."
Scientists have wondered how people can influenceto this thermostat. But first they needed to learn how ocean microbes affect climate without human intervention. To find out, the researchers built a 32-meter-long canal and filled it with water. There, they caused phytoplankton blooms—an overgrowth of microscopic algae that occurs naturally in oceans under certain conditions.
Scientists have tracked the gases and aerosols generatedin air above water, measuring parameters such as size, composition, shape, enzymatic activity and pH of the aerosol. They also studied how natural changes in the microbial community affect the atmosphere around them.
Adding a little atmosphericoxidizer caused an immediate change in the composition and ability of marine aerosols to form clouds. The oxidizer reacted with microbes in the air, converting them into compounds that altered the primary aerosol of sea spray and formed new types of particles, the scientists said.
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