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What sea foam is

The dissolved organic matter in sea foam includes proteins, lignins and lipids, derived from sources such as the offshore breakdown of algal blooms. These compounds can act as surfactants or foaming agents. Sea foam varies depending on location and the potential influence of the surrounding marine, freshwater, and/or terrestrial environments.

Composition and persistence

Sea foam is generally a mixture of decomposed organic materials, such as zooplankton, phytoplankton and algae, though each occurrence varies in its specific contents. In some areas it is made up primarily of protein, along with lipids and carbohydrates. Metastable foams can have a lifetime of several hours to several days. Their duration is sometimes attributed to small particles of silica, calcium, or iron which contribute to foam stability and longevity.

Sea spray and the smell of the sea

Sea spray consists of aerosol particles formed from the ocean, primarily by ejection into Earth's atmosphere through bursting bubbles at the air-sea interface. It contains both organic matter and inorganic salts. Dimethyl sulfide is produced by marine planktonic microorganisms such as the coccolithophores. It contributes to the characteristic odor of sea air. Dimethyl sulfide is a component of the smell of the sea, alongside chemical derivatives of it and algal pheromones such as dictyopterenes.

Related aroma chemicals

Calone, or methylbenzodioxepinone, is trade-named Calone 1951 and is known in the fragrance industry as watermelon ketone. It is a white solid derived from 4-methylcatechol. Its melting point is 35-41 °C. Calone is similar in structure to brown algae pheromones like ectocarpene. Helional, commonly derived from heliotropin, is an aldehyde with a hydrocinnamaldehyde motif. Dihydromyrcenol, C₁₀H₂₀O, is a synthetic organic compound that has not been reported to be found in nature. It is a colorless viscous liquid that boils at 194-197 °C. Worldwide use of dihydromyrcenol exceeded 1000 metric tons per year as of 2004.

History

Calone was discovered by Pfizer in 1966. It has been used as a scent component since the 1980s for its watery, fresh, ozone accords, and as a more dominant note in several perfumes of the marine trend, beginning in the 1990s. A men's fragrance introduced in 1988 lists sea water, mint and rosemary among its top notes.

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Related: Aqual · Aquozone · Calone · Calone 1951 · Coral Limestone · Crustaceans · Diving Suit · Fish