Aerosols are known to influence the climate system in a range of ways; they affect radiation budgets, cloud formation and circulation patterns, and contribute to local biogeochemical cycling and ecology. Despite this recognized role for marine aerosol, however, recent research has emphasized the impact of global climate change on coastal environments rather than the other way around. This occurs in part because most methods for sampling marine aerosol are expensive and studies tend to occur only on specialized marine stations and ocean-crossing research vessels. This project tests a new method for aerosol sampling, specifically designed for use in local studies of coastal environments and costing little to set up. It also reports the results of a pilot study in Alderney (Channel Islands) where changes in both aerosol abundance and aerosol composition, including fractionation effects, were observed using the new method and linked to local meteorological conditions.