Sea-spray bacteria and endotoxins changed innate-immune signalling in cultured human cells. The mechanism is plausible, but no study has yet shown that ordinary coastal exposure improves health in residents.
Every breaking wave releases microscopic sea-spray aerosols carrying salts, marine bacteria and organic compounds into coastal air—and laboratory experiments show that bacteria and endotoxins in this spray can subtly activate and regulate innate-immune pathways in human cells, offering a possible biological link between sea air and health that researchers have yet to confirm in coastal residents.
The Long View