New research from UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the University of Lincoln shows that stickier marine snow particles carry more than six times as much carbon to the deep ocean as runnier ones. The study, published in Science on October 8, used 3D confocal microscopy and a viscosity-sensing dye called RY3 to map the interior of marine snow particles for the first time. Bacteria degrade the runny outer zones first, while viscous cores slow breakdown and let particles sink deeper. Marine snow, a mix of dead phytoplankton, fecal pellets, and mucus, drives the ocean's biological carbon pump. The authors say current climate models do not include particle viscosity when estimating ocean carbon uptake, so projections may miss how changing ocean conditions alter carbon storage. The team plans to study what controls viscosity across regions and seasons. The companion paper in Nature Communications details the imaging method, which could also apply to coral, kelp, and human mucus research.
