The Most Incredible Snowfall on Earth Occurs Deep Underwater

Summary

This episode of SciShow, in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, dives into the fascinating world of marine snow, the vital organic particles that fall from the ocean’s surface to the depths. Marine snow is essential for deep-sea ecosystems, providing food and contributing to the carbon cycle, which plays a key role in regulating Earth's climate. The episode highlights how marine snow helps store carbon and how its breakdown may influence global climate patterns, especially as human activities affect oceanic conditions and carbon storage. This deep-sea phenomenon is crucial to understanding climate change and its future impacts.

Takeaways

• 😀 Marine snow is a key part of the ocean's food web and plays a crucial role in the global climate by transporting organic matter to the deep sea.
• 😀 Marine snow is not actual snow but consists of fluffy bits of organic matter, including plankton remains, fecal pellets, and decomposers like bacteria.
• 😀 Plankton, such as algae, bacteria, and small crustaceans, are the primary source of marine snow, providing food for deeper ocean creatures.
• 😀 In the deep ocean, sunlight does not reach, so the marine snow acts as the main food source for many organisms living at great depths.
• 😀 Larvaceans, tiny tadpole-like creatures, play an important role in catching marine snow with their giant mucus nets, which they periodically discard as they clog up.
• 😀 The decomposing marine snow on the seafloor contributes to nutrient-rich ooze that covers much of the ocean floor, playing a role in the carbon cycle.
• 😀 The carbon in marine snow is a critical part of the global carbon cycle, as it helps sequester carbon from the atmosphere into deep-sea sediments.
• 😀 Deep-sea sediments, formed by marine snow, serve as the Earth’s largest carbon storage unit, storing billions of tons of carbon over millions of years.
• 😀 The storage of carbon in deep-sea sediments has contributed to the Earth’s cooling climate over millions of years, transitioning from the hothouse conditions of the Cretaceous Period to today’s icehouse conditions.
• 😀 Human activities, like burning fossil fuels and deforestation, are reversing the natural process of carbon storage, leading to increased atmospheric CO2 levels and climate change.
• 😀 Scientists are closely monitoring the impact of climate change on marine snow and how it might affect the ocean’s ability to store carbon, which is crucial for mitigating future climate change.

Q & A

What is marine snow, and how is it formed?

Marine snow is a term for the falling particles in the ocean that resemble snow. It is composed of organic matter, including the remains of plankton, fecal pellets, and decomposers like bacteria. These particles clump together as they descend through the water column, creating the appearance of a snowstorm in the deep ocean.

How does marine snow contribute to the ocean's food web?

Marine snow plays a critical role in the ocean's food web by providing a vital food source to deep-sea organisms. The particles that fall from the surface provide nutrients to creatures like larvaceans and filter feeders, supporting life in the deep ocean where food is otherwise scarce.

What is the role of larvaceans in the deep ocean ecosystem?

Larvaceans are small tadpole-like creatures that create large mucus nets to trap and concentrate marine snow. These nets are eventually discarded and become a food source for other animals, like vampire squids. Larvaceans help capture organic matter that falls from the surface, providing food for deep-sea life.

Why is marine snow important for the global carbon cycle?

Marine snow plays a key role in the carbon cycle by transporting carbon from the surface to the deep ocean. As plankton and other organic materials sink, they store carbon in the deep-sea sediments, preventing it from returning to the atmosphere and contributing to the cooling of Earth's climate.

How does marine snow affect the Earth's climate?

By storing carbon in the ocean's depths, marine snow helps regulate the planet's climate. The carbon locked away in deep-sea sediments prevents excess CO2 from entering the atmosphere, thus reducing the greenhouse effect and contributing to a cooler climate.

What are some of the challenges that marine snow faces due to human activity?

Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This results in higher CO2 levels in the ocean, causing ocean acidification. This acidity can disrupt the formation of carbon-storing ooze and affect plankton communities, potentially reducing the amount of carbon that can be stored in the deep ocean.

How has the amount of carbon stored in the ocean changed over time?

The amount of carbon stored in the ocean has increased over time. Around 80 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period, approximately one million tons of carbon were stored annually in deep-sea sediments. Today, scientists estimate that over 200 million tons of carbon are stored each year, a significant increase.

Why is marine snow important for understanding climate change?

Marine snow is crucial for understanding climate change because it is part of the Earth's carbon cycle. By studying how marine snow stores carbon, scientists can gain insights into how changes in the ocean, such as increased acidification, may impact the climate and help predict future environmental shifts.

What impact does ocean acidification have on marine snow?

Ocean acidification, caused by increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere, disrupts the formation of marine snow. The acidity affects plankton populations, which in turn can decrease the amount of organic matter available to form marine snow, potentially diminishing its ability to store carbon in the ocean's depths.

How is MBARI contributing to the study of marine snow?

MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) plays a vital role in studying marine snow through its cutting-edge technology and research. By using remotely operated vehicles and robotic floats, MBARI monitors the ocean's carbon storage and helps scientists understand the role of marine snow in the carbon cycle and its implications for climate change.