Factoid/2010/12/07
From Beachapedia
< Beachapedia:Factoid | 2010 | 12
Marine Snow
- "As plants and animals near the surface of the ocean die and decay, they fall toward the sea floor, just like leaves and decaying material fall onto a forest floor. In addition to dead animals and plants, marine snow also includes fecal matter, sand, soot, and other inorganic dust. The decaying material is referred to as "marine snow" because it looks a little bit like white fluffy bits. The "snowflakes" grow as they fall, some reaching several centimeters in diameter. Some flakes fall for weeks before finally reaching the ocean floor. This continuous rain of marine snow provides food for many deep-sea creatures." - excerpt from this National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) web page. Read more.
Factoid has been Emailed/Tweeted: Yes
| Coastal Factoids Archive | Coastal Factoids on Twitter | Coastal Factoids RSS Feed |