Marine Snow II

If you shine a spotlight in the complete darkness of the deep sea, you will see a "snowfall". White specks float silently downwards, like in a windless, dark winter morning illuminated by a streetlamp.

This perpetually descending "marine snow" consists of organic waste falling from the upper layers of the water column. Marine snowfall is an important phenomenon that transports carbon and energy from brighter zones to the very darkest.