Snow on the surface of the Earth appears as magical-looking flakes and a delicate layer of soft white particles on the trees, man built structures and also covering the ground . It covers vast stretches of land appearing as fine particulate matter falling rhythmically flake by flake. But what about these flakes occurring beneath the surface of land and underwater instead?What is Marine snow? More importantly, how is it different from typical snow?
Our oceans do see ‘snow,’ but it is a very different feat underwater than the snow we see on land. The term ‘marine snow’ is used for all sorts of particles in the seas or oceans that start at the top or middle layers of water and slowly drift to the seafloor descending on the seabed as sediments, dust and debris which rise and settle periodically with the waves made by the ocean waters.
Like life on land, plants and animals in the oceans die, decay, eat each other and produce waste. Marine snow is an ocean phenomenon which occurs when these different marine organisms such as phytoplankton decompose into fine dust like particles and rest as sediments at the bottom of the sea- floor.
It may seem as an unproductive ocean phenomenon but in reality is an important food source for some marine life, especially those down at the ocean bottom in the deep sea who might not otherwise have access to essential nutrients which are a requirement in the food they consume in order to sustain. In fact in a considerable number of cases, marine snow remains as the last resort and the only source of nutrition to aquatic organisms in the dark inhospitable depths of the ocean where the availability of nutrient-rich food is close to zero.
Although marine snow is essentially decaying organic matter, when looked upon from an alternative viewpoint it can be seen as a wondrous phenomenon which nourishes millions of underwater creatures, is beneficial for all aquatic life and ensures that our marine biodiversity is rich and thriving.
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