Global reduction of CO transfer velocity by natural surfactants in the sea-surface microlayer.

For decades, the effect of surfactants in the sea-surface microlayer (SML) on gas transfer velocity () has been recognized; however, it has not been quantified under natural conditions due to missing coherent data on of carbon dioxide (CO) and characterization of the SML. Moreover, a sea-surface phenomenon of wave-dampening, known as slicks, has been observed frequently in the ocean and potentially reduces the transfer of climate-relevant gases between the ocean and atmosphere. Therefore, this study aims to quantify the effect of natural surfactant and slicks on the of CO.