'Marine snow' using tiny 'parachutes' has big impact on ocean carbon storage

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🗞️ Driving the news: New research reveals that microscopic marine organisms produce mucus "parachutes" that slow the descent of "marine snow"—organic particles that help store carbon in the ocean
• This finding may challenge current estimates of the ocean's capacity to sequester carbon

🔭 The context: Marine snow, composed of dead organisms and organic matter, sinks to the ocean floor, helping remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through a process known as the biological pump
• The study, using a rotating microscope aboard research vessels, found that the mucus structures extend the time particles spend near the ocean surface, allowing more carbon to be recycled instead of being sequestered

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: If more carbon is recycled near the surface, less is stored deep in the ocean, potentially impacting climate models and carbon reduction strategies
• This discovery suggests that the ocean's role in mitigating climate change may be more complex than previously thought

⏭️ What's next: Researchers aim to refine climate models by integrating these findings and will release data from their global marine snow expeditions
• They also plan to study what environmental factors influence the formation of the mucus parachutes

💬 One quote: "We haven’t been looking the right way," — Manu Prakash, lead researcher

📈 One stat: Marine snow absorbs about one-third of human-made carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

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