What is seafoam made out of

Surfactants are substances that lower the surface tension of water, basically reducing the attraction between water molecules allowing the surface to stretch around air bubbles. A foam is just a dispersion of a gas, in this case, air. When it comes to sea foam, more organic material means more surfactants, more foaming agents, and more foam, so when algae blooms or large fish schools die, you are likely to see more foam forming.

In a few giant storms off the coast of Sydney caused a massive influx of sea foam, causing the locals to refer to the beach as the Cappuccino Coast! Pulmonary surfactants in our lungs work to stabilize alveoli : small air-filled membrane bubbles that allow us to diffuse oxygen in, and waste gasses out of our lungs, just as they stabilize air bubbles in the sea. Want to engage with this content?

Most sea foam is not harmful to humans and is often an indication of a productive ocean ecosystem. However, when large harmful algal blooms decay near shore, there is potential for impacts to human health and the environment. Along Gulf coast beaches during blooms of Karenia brevis , for example, popping sea foam bubbles are one way that algal toxins become airborne. The resulting aerosol can irritate the eyes of beach goers and poses a health risk for those with asthma or other respiratory conditions.

Scientists studying the cause of a seabird die-offs off California in and in the Pacific Northwest in also found a soap-like foam from a decaying Akashiwo sanguinea algae bloom had removed the waterproofing on feathers, making it harder for birds to fly. This led to the onset of fatal hypothermia in many birds. He even used the most recent satellite images to predict where the next bird stranding would occur, and his prediction was dead-on.

At some point, it occurred to him to dip a clean feather in a mixture of foam and saltwater. Republicans and Democrats have both made appearances in Glasgow for the giant climate conference. The quasar J is 13 billion light-years away from Earth. But it still can reveal a lot about our own universe. Brighstoneus simmondsi has a big lump around the nostrils, like a chunky alligator.

Sign up to receive Popular Science's emails and get the highlights.