It is said that "auspicious snow means a good harvest", can it actually snow in the ocean?

In winter, a gentle snowfall should be something that many people look forward to. On land, we can see the beautiful snow scene of "willow catkins rising in the wind", which seems to be a beauty unique to land.

But what everyone doesn’t know is

In fact, it also snows in the ocean

How can it snow in the ocean?

In fact, the "snow" in the ocean is completely different from the snow condensed from water on land. The "snow" in the ocean is actually organic debris, which falls like snowflakes, so it is called marine snow. The composition of marine snow "snowflakes" is very rich. In addition to dead phytoplankton, marine snow also includes protozoa (such as diatoms), bacteria, fecal particles, mud and dust, etc.

On land, people often say "auspicious snow means a good harvest". Appropriate heavy snow in winter can keep the soil warm, accumulate water and benefit the fields, indicating a good harvest in the coming year.

The " snow" in the ocean

It also plays an important role in the marine ecosystem

Marine snow is composed of organic matter and contains abundant carbon and nitrogen. These "snowflakes" drift to the bottom of the sea, sometimes taking weeks. For marine life, marine snow is a feast from heaven. Many marine life use marine snow as a food source and live on it. It falls to the bottom of the sea and becomes the basis of deep-sea and benthic ecosystems. In the deep sea where sunlight cannot reach, marine snow becomes a source of energy that deep-sea life relies heavily on.

On land, snow usually falls in winter. In the ocean, the production of marine snow is also seasonal, with seasonal fluctuations depending on the intensity of photosynthesis and ocean currents. In spring, when plant and animal life revive, the production of marine snow will be greater. Therefore, many marine organisms that feed on marine snow will synchronize their reproduction cycles with marine snow.

At present, the scientific community is gradually deepening its research on marine snow. Marine snow has attracted the attention of microbiologists because there are microbial communities attached to marine snow. The research on these microorganisms may be applied to bioengineering and pharmaceuticals.

In addition to playing a role in maintaining the marine ecosystem, marine snow may also have an impact on the global carbon cycle. A large part of the composition of marine snow is dead phytoplankton. Phytoplankton absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and is carried to the seabed in the form of marine snow after death, which prevents carbon from entering the atmosphere for a long time. For the earth's environment, marine snow may be able to reduce the greenhouse effect to a certain extent.

The main views in this article come from the BBC documentary "Blue Planet" Season 1 Episode 2 and Wikipedia.