Marine Snow: A staple of the deep

 

Marine Snow: A staple of the deep

As we dive deeper into winter in the northern hemisphere, the possibility of snow becomes an increasingly frequent topic of conversation. But did you know that the ocean gets a regular dose of 'marine snow' year-round? 

Marine snow is mostly biological debris that originates from the top layers of the ocean and drifts to the sea floor.

The decaying material is referred to as 'marine snow' because it looks a little bit like white fluffy bits. The continuous rain of marine snow provides food for many deep-sea creatures. Many animals in the dark parts of the ocean filter marine snow from the water or scavenge it from the seabed as their primary food source.

When diving in the deep, sometimes we see a lot of marine snow, and sometimes we see very little. Differences in the amount of marine snow falling through the water column or the density of this snowfall are influenced by many factors, such as the production of plankton in surface water and the consumption and decomposition rates of the organic matter.

They are not uniformly distributed either in space or time but are usually found in higher concentrations in the upper water column and in the more productive regions of the oceans.

Written by - Sayuri Pallewaththa

3rd year (21/22 Batch)

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