{"id":1578,"date":"2026-07-13T20:24:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T20:24:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=1578"},"modified":"2026-07-13T20:24:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T20:24:51","slug":"scientists-say-crushing-deep-ocean-pressure-squeezes-hidden-nutrients-out-of-sinking-marine-snow-feeding-microbes-and-changing-what-we-know-about-earths-carbon-cycle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=1578","title":{"rendered":"Scientists say crushing deep-ocean pressure squeezes hidden nutrients out of sinking marine snow, feeding microbes and changing what we know about Earth\u2019s carbon cycle"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-132366564,imgsize-129842,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg\" alt=\"Scientists say crushing deep-ocean pressure squeezes hidden nutrients out of sinking marine snow, feeding microbes and changing what we know about Earth\u2019s carbon cycle\" title=\"Scientists say crushing deep-ocean pressure squeezes hidden nutrients out of sinking marine snow, feeding microbes and changing what we know about Earth\u2019s carbon cycle (Representational AI image)\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"Scientists say crushing deep-ocean pressure squeezes hidden nutrients out of sinking marine snow, feeding microbes and changing what we know about Earth\u2019s carbon cycle (Representational AI image)\">Scientists say crushing deep-ocean pressure squeezes hidden nutrients out of sinking marine snow, feeding microbes and changing what we know about Earth\u2019s carbon cycle (Representational AI image)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"0\"\/>Life in the deepest parts of the ocean may have access to more food than scientists once believed. A new study has found that the huge pressure found several kilometres below the ocean surface squeezes nutrients out of sinking organic particles, giving deep-sea microbes a fresh source of food.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"3\"\/>The discovery could also change how scientists understand Earth&#8217;s carbon cycle. If more carbon escapes from these sinking particles before reaching the seabed, the ocean may store carbon differently than researchers had previously thought.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"5\"\/>The study, led by researchers at the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), was published in the journal Science Advances.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"7\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>What is Marine snow<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"9\"\/>The food source comes from what scientists call marine snow. <!-- -->Despite its name, it is not made of ice. Marine snow is a constant shower of tiny bits of dead algae, microbes and other organic material that slowly sink from the ocean&#8217;s surface to the deep sea.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/>For years, scientists believed these particles mainly carried food and carbon to the ocean floor. But the new study suggests something important happens while they are still sinking.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"16\"\/>According to the researchers, when marine snow reaches depths of about 2 to 6 kilometres, the enormous water pressure begins forcing dissolved carbon and nitrogen out of the particles.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"19\"\/>&#8220;The pressure acts almost like a giant juicer,&#8221; said Peter Stief, the study&#8217;s first author and Associate Professor at the research centres Nordcee and the Danish Center for Hadal Research. &#8220;It squeezes dissolved organic compounds out of the particles, and microbes can use them immediately,&#8221; he said as quoted by Science Daily.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"21\"\/>The team estimated that sinking marine snow can lose up to 50% of its original carbon and 58% to 63% of its original nitrogen before reaching the deep ocean floor.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"24\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Why does this matter?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"26\"\/>The leaked carbon and nitrogen become an instant food source for microbes living in the surrounding seawater. The researchers found that these nutrients helped microbes grow quickly instead of surviving in what was once thought to be a nutrient-poor environment.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"28\"\/>This finding also affects scientists&#8217; understanding of the carbon cycle. Earlier, researchers believed that much of the carbon carried by marine snow eventually became buried in deep-sea sediments, where it could remain trapped for millions of years. <!-- -->The new study suggests that a significant amount of this carbon leaks into deep ocean water before reaching the seabed.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"32\"\/>That dissolved carbon can stay in deep waters for hundreds or even thousands of years before slowly returning to the ocean surface and, eventually, the atmosphere. &#8220;This process affects how much carbon the ocean can store and for how long,&#8221; Stief said. &#8220;It&#8217;s relevant for understanding climate processes and for improving future models.&#8221;<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"35\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>How researchers tested it<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"37\"\/>To study the process, the team recreated marine snow in the laboratory using diatoms, microscopic algae that naturally stick together as they sink through the ocean.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"39\"\/>The researchers placed these artificial particles inside specially designed rotating pressure tanks. The tanks kept the particles suspended while exposing them to pressures similar to those found in the deep ocean.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"42\"\/>The experiments showed that nearly half of a particle&#8217;s carbon could leak out during its journey. <!-- -->Most of the released material consisted of proteins and carbohydrates, which deep-sea microbes can easily consume.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"46\"\/>Within two days, the number of bacteria increased 30-fold, and their respiration rates also rose sharply, showing that the leaked nutrients were quickly being used as food.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"48\"\/>The researchers now plan to test whether the same process happens in the real ocean. During a future expedition to the Arctic aboard the German research vessel Polarstern, they will look for molecular signs of this nutrient leakage in both surface and deep waters. <span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"50\"\/>Finding those signs would help confirm that the process observed in the laboratory is also taking place naturally in the deep ocean.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"52\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/science\/scientists-say-crushing-deep-ocean-pressure-squeezes-hidden-nutrients-out-of-sinking-marine-snow-feeding-microbes-and-changing-what-we-know-about-earths-carbon-cycle\/articleshow\/132366328.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Scientists say crushing deep-ocean pressure squeezes hidden nutrients out of sinking marine snow, feeding microbes and changing what we know about Earth\u2019s carbon cycle (Representational AI image) Life in the deepest parts of the ocean may have access to more food than scientists once believed. A new study has found that the huge pressure found [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1579,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Scientists say crushing deep-ocean pressure squeezes hidden nutrients out of sinking marine snow, feeding microbes and changing what we know about Earth\u2019s carbon cycle (Representational AI image) Life in the deepest parts of the ocean may have access to more food than scientists once believed. A new study has found that the huge pressure found [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":11,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":4,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg",300,169,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1280720-2026-07-13t173709105.jpg",150,84,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1578"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1578\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1579"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}