This is SeaTalk: Ocean News from the University of Delaware.

There’s nothing like the smell of the salty sea breeze. But sea breezes are more than just something for your senses. They help control local weather throughout the year. For example, they often cause weather changes that lead to afternoon showers along the coastline. One Delaware Sea Grant scientist is researching sea breeze in an effort to understand its possible connection to human activities. Increased development can change the surface of the land, including how it reflects or absorbs light and heat. Those changes can impact sea breeze, particularly how far off the coast it travels, its strength, and its ability to cause rainfall. As the population in coastal regions continues to increase, changes to sea breeze could impact the local climate — a key factor influencing the region’s agriculture and tourism industries. This is SeaTalk, a public service announcement from the University of Delaware, the Delaware Sea Grant College Program, and this station.