Tag: Marine snow

The deep sea, representing over 90% of the planet's oceans, lacks sunlight, meaning the foundation for what is the deep sea nutrition differs dramatically from surface ecosystems. Here, food webs rely not on photosynthesis, but on a fascinating blend of falling organic matter, unique chemical processes, and specialized scavenging.

Marine phytoplankton account for nearly half of the global net primary productivity, and their consumption of essential elements is a primary process that removes the nutrients from the surface layer of the ocean. This biological activity initiates a complex chain of events that moves nutrients from the sunlit surface to the deep ocean, influencing global climate and marine food webs.

While sea water is famously salty due to dissolved mineral salts like sodium chloride, it also contains tiny, surprising amounts of sugar. This sugar exists mainly in the form of complex carbohydrates released by marine plants, such as seagrasses and phytoplankton, which are constantly performing photosynthesis.