Date: Mon, 23 Feb 1998 09:39:51 -0800 (PST)
Message-Id: <199802231739.JAA10518@isaac.exploratorium.edu>
To: pinhole
From: coralz@exploratorium.edu (Coral Clark)
Subject: sea foam
I first heard of sea foam in the story "The Little Mermaid" by Hans
Christian Anderson, which is quite different from the Disney version. The
Little mermaid does not get the prince, and she dies; but the bittersweet
part was that she would become an angel because living as a human she
earned a soul (or something like that)... all the other mermaids became SEA
FOAM when they died. When I saw the images of the beach on the news the
other day, I couldn't help but think "How sad, the storm must have killed a
lot of mermaids."
Anyway, Anderson wrote this story more than 100 years ago.
Since this story was around long before detergents or water treatment
plants, I suspect that the answer is more complicated than one cause. It
is probably a combination. Perhaps the treatment plant's run-off causes
some foam, or enhances the natural occurance of foam; and it's probably
also caused by detergents in the water and also by some natural means, like
the break-down of proteins.
It seems like this might make an interesting discussion for students in
terms of what they already know, and what they've heard.
coral
Coral Clark
Teacher in Residence
coralz@exploratorium.edu
tel:(415) 353-0499
fax:(415) 561-0307