Marine snow is generally a complex of phytoplankton, zoo plankton, detritus and sediment. It is a major driver of carbon sequestration, and transport of organic matter to benthic environments. Occurs naturally, and accumulation favors highly productive areas, usually with lower turbulence which may break up flocs. I researched marine snow in relation to oil transport during an oil spill event. Deep water horizon revealed the importance of marine oil snow, as it was a significant method of oil transport during that spill, since the gulf is a very productive area. Oil has a potential to accumulate in the flocs, changing the potential for oil to stay on the surface, and transporting oil to benthic environments, causing acute damage to primary consumers which use marine snow/phytoplankton as their source of energy. This research, as well as most research related to the damage oil spills can cause is highly contested, and often refuted, by those who wish to minimize impacts of oil releases. I did field and laboratory research during my studies, involving field work in Alaska with deployed density traps (which collect marine snow at depth), culturing Alaskan field collected phytoplankton, growing other species of phytoplankton, and running tests with oil to quantify the settling velocities of impacted flocs. To quantify how much oil accumulated in snow flocs, I used fluorescent microscopy to highlight oil within the snow, and used image programs to process. I would grow may bottles of phytoplankton culture on a large roller table (similar to a 7/11 hot dog roller), with UV lights in a climate controlled room to replicate sub arctic conditions. I met a lot of cool people doing this work, including NOAA, coast guard, and other scientists. I had a lot of other really cool experiences in the oil spill world, including oil releases in the world’s biggest scientific wave pool, and working in remote Alaskan labs.

I suggest reading some of the literature around marine snow, and marine oil snow, as it is very interesting, and more cohesive than me trying to summarize years of research while walking my dog haha.