A new study has found that marine snow transports carbon more effectively when it is gooier, Phys.org reported on Monday. The finding connects the physical consistency of the falling particles to how much carbon they carry into the deep ocean.
Marine snow is the drifting mix of organic material that sinks from surface waters toward the seafloor. According to Phys.org, the research indicates that the stickier the material is, the better it performs as a carrier of carbon.
The result matters because the ocean's ability to move carbon downward is part of how the planet stores carbon over long periods. Phys.org did not provide further details in its summary of the work, including the researchers involved, the methods used, or where the study was published.
The headline finding, as reported, is a relationship between the texture of marine snow and its carbon-carrying performance. The gooier the particles, the more carbon they move, according to the outlet's account of the study.
What to watch next: whether follow-up work confirms the pattern across different ocean regions and identifies what makes marine snow more or less gooey in the first place.
