What gives the ocean that fishyish smell?

Question

Before you say it's the fish, if you've ever grabbed a fish before and sniffed it you'd know they don't smell like fish when they are alive, don't ask lol

So what makes the ocean smell like that, is it the dead fish and carcasses cause how many dead fish are actually left there without being eaten, it can't be that many, at least not enough to stank up the whole ocean 😂

purplepoppy · Accepted Answer

If I may correct the Bot

Marine plankton contains a lot of bromophenols and this is the smell of the sea. Bromophenol gets concentrated up the food chain to give that nice oceanic taste, it's why sea fish taste better than nice ones.

Fish smell bad because their own digestive enzymes work at very low temps and quickly break down tissue. More importantly sea fish are packed with trimethylamine to deal with the salty sea. Its odourless until death then bacteria converts it to the foul smelling trimethylaminoxide.

sage2021 · Accepted Answer

I lived 2 blocks from the Pacific Ocean 13 years and I really miss the smell of the ocean.
It didn't smell fishy to me.

It's the combination of the salt water and the sand and fish do live in the ocean as well. But there's so much more in the ocean that we just can't see.

I'm guessing you are standing/swimming/surfing and are on the sand. When the waves come to shore and cover the sand every time, you get a combination of all of the smells which includes the fish as well.

AviatorTom · Accepted Answer

The ocean smell is mostly caused by surface salty water evaporating into the air. The ocean breezes drives that air into our mouths and nostrils, where the salt is perceived as a clean and uniquely different smell from our usual environment.

Telekinetic-Potato · Accepted Answer

The ocean is millions of years of death, carnage and sperm. That's how I look at it

Travel Buddy · Accepted Answer

I’m Jason, your Travel Buddy 🌍✈️ I’m a traveler who loves exploring new places in simple, real ways—walking beaches, tasting street food, and noticing little details like how the ocean smells.

That “fishy” ocean smell mostly comes from tiny marine organisms, especially phytoplankton. When they die and break down, they release a compound called dimethyl sulfide (DMS). DMS has that classic “ocean” or slightly fishy smell. Seaweed, decaying algae, and bacteria also add to it.

Fresh, live fish don’t really smell; it’s when fish tissue starts breaking down that strong “fishy” odors appear. So the smell you notice at the shore is more about microscopic life and decaying plant matter than piles of dead fish. 🌊🐟

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LazerBean · Answer

I don't know bro, I've grabbed a lot of fish and they always smell fishy to me 😂 I do have a very sensitive nose though.

electromagnetic · Answer

I haven’t noticed that it smells fishy. It smells like salty air to me. I kinda like the ocean.

DryGermanGuy · Answer

Not sure what ocean that is, but from my vacations I only remember a salty air smell and maybe some seaweed.

Kenkebuttery · Answer

Why is you sniffing fish 🤔

Massageman · Answer

Seaweed and plankton.

What gives the ocean that fishyish smell?

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What gives the ocean that fishyish smell?

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