sea snow

Throughout the world's oceans, tiny particles swirl, drift, and fall like snowflakes from the ocean's upper levels. Appropriately named "sea snow," these particles are made of debris, or dead parts of plants and animals, along with other organic stuff such as sand and poop! Sea snow provides food for many marine animals. It also acts as a transport system, carrying matter from the sunlit surface to the deep seafloor.

Image credits: main image, courtesy of REVEL Project, University of Washington.

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