During harmful algal blooms, the population of toxic microalgae increases dramatically and there is an alarming number of reports of respiratory distress, suggesting airborne transmission of biological matter. Sea spray drives the exchange of matter between ocean and atmosphere. The bursting of air bubbles, emitting jet drops, strongly contributes to sea spray production and enables the spreading of microplastics and bacteria, captured in the jet droplets. While algal toxins have been shown to aerosolise, little is known about the occurrence of cells in sea spray. 

In this talk, I will discuss with a variety of microalgae how they are entrapped in sea spray, and justify why they are much more concentrated in the ejected drops than in the water column.