Sea-surface film

R.E. Baier, D.W. Goupil, S. Perlmutter and R. King, Dominant chemical composition of sea-surface films, natural slicks, and foams, J. Rech. Atmos. 8 (1974) 571-600. 

W.D. Garrett, Organic chemistry of natural sea surface films, in D.W. Hood (Ed.), Organic Matter in Natural Waters, Inst. Mar. Sci. (Alaska) Occas. Publ. 1, 1970, pp. 469-477. 

Horrigan, S. G., Carlucci, A. F., and Williams, P. M. (1981). Light inhibition of nitrification in sea-surface films. Journal of Marine Research 39, 557-565. 

Sources of surface-active organic matter (SAOM) are varied and include primarily phytoplankton, zooplankton and their degradation products (Zutic et al. 1981, Williams et al. 1985, Henrichs and Williams 1985), but also marine bacteria (Sieburth et al. 1976, Hardy 1982, Carlucci et al. 1985, Van Vleet and Williams 1983), rivers and estuaries (both natural and anthropogenic organic matter) and atmospheric volatiles and dust (Peltzer and Gagosian 1989). Sea surface films are, therefore, complex mixtures of... 

This paper discusses studies of sea surface films observed and collected in the southern California Bight and the U. S. Middle Atlantic Bight. The goals of these studies were to understand the relationship between chemical composition and surface elasticity in these complex natural films and to determine the range of surface elasticity typical of the ocean surface. Mass spectrometry was the principal analytical tool because of its capacity to characterise and identify chemical structures for many compound classes and to provide a quick assessment of compounds enriched in sea surface films. We present typical variations in SAOM chemical composition as reflected in mass spectral patterns and show the effect of these compositional variations on the film elasticity. 

Lombardini PP, Fiscella B, Trivero P, Cappa C, Garrett WD (1989) Modulation of the spectra of short gravity waves by sea surface films slick detection and characterization with a microwave probe. J Atmos Oceanic Technol 6 882-890... 

Williams PM, Carlucci AF, Henrichs SM, Van Vleet ES, Horrigan SG, H. Reid FM, Robertson KJ (1985) Chemical and microbiological studies of sea-surface films in the southern Gulf of California and off the west coast of Baja California. Mar. Chem. 19 17-98... 

There has been considerable controversy over what types of organic compounds compose sea surface films (Blanchard, 1974). Part of this controversy has arisen from interpretation of the methods of chemical analysis used, and the relevant aspects of this will be discussed in the Sections 3.3. to 3.6. which are concerned with different types of organic matter. A second part of the controversy comes from the methods of sampling the surface films. Since the sampling technique is, in fact, a practical definition of what constitutes a sea surface film, it is more central to the problem. This important aspect of the chemical composition studies will therefore be discussed first of all in the next two sections. 

Hunter, K.A. and Liss, P.S. (1981) Organic sea surface films, in Marine Organic Chemistry, vol. 31 (eds E.K. Duursma and R. Dawson), Elsevier Oceanography Series, Chapter 9, pp. 259-298. 

---