Sea Foam is a natural substance created from decomposing organic matter and agitation from the waves and wind on the ocean these elements in ocean waters are made from salts, fats, proteins, algae, plankton, bacteria, and more. These act as a surfactant, or surface-acting agent, which reduces tension on water molecules, creating bubbles. Is Sea Foam Good for the Environment?
Yes, Sea Foam can play a number of ecological roles & can actually show a natural & healthy marine environment by acting
As a habitat for organisms
As a food source for aquatic plants
As a mode of transport for both organisms & nutrients within the ocean environment and into the coastal environments
Seafoam is a global phenomenon and the amount will vary depending on location and the potential influence of the surrounding marine, freshwater, or landform environments. Due to its low density Sea foam can be blown by strong on-shore winds from the beach face inland and can cause problems to coastal towns, filling city streets with blankets of foam.
Is sea foam good for the Environment
Most sea foam is not harmful to humans and will often be an indication of a healthy productive ocean ecosystem. But when large harmful algal blooms decay near shore, there is potential for negative impacts on the health of humans.
The presence of Sea Foam in the ocean environment plays a number of ecological roles including providing sources of food and creating habitat. It actually shows a healthy working ocean environment.
- As a food source sea foam with a stable makeup is more important ecologically, as it is able to persist longer, transporting nutrients through the marine environment.
- Sea Foam also acts as a mode of transport for both organisms and nutrients within the ocean environment and even moving into the coastal environments. Wave action can deposit foam into intertidal areas where it will remain when the tide recedes, serving nutrients to the intertidal zone.
An intertidal area, also known as the littoral zone, is a unique ecosystem that is located between the high tide and low tide marks on the shoreline. It is a transitional zone where the sea meets the land, and the environment is constantly changing due to the ocean tides.
Sea Foam or Ocean Foam is a global phenomenon containing dissolved organic & inorganic proteins, fats, dead algae, detergents, & other pollutants, that act as a surfactant, or foaming agent, which, combined with the pounding of ocean waves, results in large buildups of foam ……………………………………….. Read more
No, Sea Foam is not whale sperm. Sea Foam created by the agitation of sea H2O contains high concentrations of dissolved organic matter, including proteins, lignins & lipids derived from sources such as the offshore breakdown of algal blooms. These compounds .…………………………………………………… Read more
Intertidal areas can be found along coastlines all around the world, from rocky shores to sandy beaches and estuaries
Additionally, Sea Foam can become airborne in windy conditions, transporting materials between water and land environments. The ability of Sea Foam to transport materials is also thought to benefit macroalgal organisms (Macroalgae are large, multicellular algae) that resemble plants in their morphology and photosynthesis. They are aquatic plants that can live in dense groups or attach to the seabed, rocks, shells, or other land surfaces.
Sea water is 96.5 percent water and 2.5 percent salt. That only adds up to 99 percent, so what’s the other 1 percent? A lot of things. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), it’s “proteins, fats, dead algae, detergents and other pollutants,” plus other bits of organic and inorganic matter. When these particles get agitated by wind and waves, they froth. You can create the same effect by putting some seawater in a bottle and shaking it.
When high quantities of decay develop in the waters, they typically wash up as a either white or brown, or reddish form of foam in the waves. A lot of decomposing algae stuff washes up on the beach. As the wave churns up this biological debris, foam emerges. It is sometimes referred to as the ‘Red Tide,’ and it is caused by the presence of waste materials produced by human activity.
Structurally, Sea Foam is unstable in the environment & persists depending on which type-there are two types of Sea Foam categorized based on their stability:
- Unstable or transient foams have very short lifetimes of only seconds
- Metastable foams can have a lifetime of several hours to several days .………………………………………………. Read more
JimGalloway Author/Editor
References: American Oceans– What exactly is Sea Foam
