Table 3: Observed types of marine primary organic aerosol and the suggested biological relevance of specific particle types.

Location Method(s) Particle Size Dominant Component(s) or Spectral Feature Biological Relevance Polysaccharides Arctic TEM, 100 nm Colloidal spherules EPS gels Various TEM 1 m Colloidal spherules EPS gels X-ray backscatter, and solubility Mediterranean Sea and Alcian blue dye 1–50 m Semi-transparent colloids Polysaccharides Long Island Sound W. Pacific TEM, 50 nm Colloidal spherules EPS gels SEM with X-ray backscatter, and solubility North Atlantic HNMR (WSOC and WIOC) 60–1000 nm Hydroxylate aliphatics Lipopolysaccharides Lipid-like aliphatics Arctic FTIR spectroscopy 1 m Organic hydroxyl groups Polysaccharides Alkane groups SE Pacific FTIR spectroscopy 1 m Organic hydroxyl groups Polysaccharides SE Pacific STXM-NEXAFS 1 m Organic hydroxyl groups Polysaccharides Arctic STXM-NEXAFS 1 m Carboxylic acid groups Polysaccharides Protein and amino acid compounds Arctic TEM and Extraction 50 nm Hydrophobic organic Amino acids aggregates Mediterranean Sea and HPLC and not provided Asp, Glu, Ser, Ala Amino acids Long Island Sound Coomassie Blue dye 1–50 m Semi-transparent colloids Proteins Arctic STXM-NEXAFS 1 m Alkane and Protein amide groups SE Pacific STXM-NEXAFS 1 m Alkane and Protein amide groups Micro-organisms and their fragments Arctic TEM and Extraction 400 nm Bacteria and diatoms Arctic TEM, 200–5000 nm Micro-organisms and fragments X-ray backscatter, and solubility W. Pacific TEM, 400 nm CaCO Coral-related SEM with X-ray backscatter, 3.7 to 7.5 m Bacteria and solubility SE Pacific STXM-NEXAFS 1 m CaCO and alkane groups Calcareous phytoplankton fragments None listed Tasmania PALMS 160 nm Organic mass fragments Arctic TEM 100 nm Organic liquid Proteins Ireland IC, 1.5 m WIOC (not characterized) EGA, WSOC (aliphatic groups HNMR, near heteroatoms, HULIS, and TOC and partially oxidized species)

HNMR characterized aerosol was generated in a laboratory setting from collected seawater. [25], [26], [22], [27], [7], [8], [15], This work, [28], [14], [42], [6].