Marine Snow Derives From

Question

Marine snow derives from
A) Interactions of TEP with dead phytoplankton cells
B) Decaying gelatinous zooplankton
C) Sinking plankton
D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Marine snow is a term used to describe the continuous shower of mostly organic detritus falling from the upper layers of the water column. It is composed of dead or dying plankton, fecal matter, sand, soot, and other inorganic dust. The sources include interactions of Transparent Exopolymer Particles (TEP) with dead phytoplankton cells, decaying gelatinous zooplankton, and sinking plankton, among others.