Slide 1
Marine snow carries sinking food into the dark ocean
Marine snow consists of sinking particles and clumps in the ocean. Dead plankton, waste and other material contribute to this downward supply.
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Much of its organic carbon began in sunlit waters, where photosynthesis built living tissue. Sinking particles connect that surface production to animals far beyond the reach of useful sunlight.
Slide 2
Small particles stick together into larger clumps
Marine snow is not frozen water. Tiny particles can stick into larger aggregates as they move through the water column.
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The clumps can contain living microbes as well as debris. Their structure and composition affect how quickly they sink and which organisms can consume them along the way.
Slide 3
Animals and microbes eat part of the falling supply
Animals and microbes consume marine snow while it sinks. Only part of the material leaving the surface reaches the deep bottom.
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Consumption returns some carbon to dissolved forms through respiration and other processes. The journey therefore transforms the falling material instead of simply delivering the same particles unchanged.
Slide 4
Surface growth can send food down in pulses
The deep ocean's food supply can arrive in pulses. Surface growth and sinking events influence what reaches animals on the seabed.
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Long observations and sediment traps help researchers detect unusually large deliveries. A short visit can miss them, which makes sustained measurements important for understanding deep-sea food availability.
Slide 5
Uneaten material can carry carbon into seabed sediment
Material that escapes consumption may enter seabed sediment. Sinking organic matter is one route by which carbon moves away from surface waters.
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Depth and later circulation influence how long carbon remains separated from the atmosphere. Sinking is a transport process; it does not mean every falling particle becomes permanent storage.