Characteristics, dynamics and significance of marine snow

Alldredge, Alice L.; Silver, Mary W.

doi:10.1016/0079-6611(88)90053-5

Cited by 1,266 publications

(797 citation statements)

References 129 publications

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“…Natural marine snow supports a rich community of protozoans and microbes (Alldredge & Silver 1988). By ingesting marine snow, macrozooplankton including amphipods (Lampitt et al 1993) and copepods (Alldredge 1972, Dagg 1993, Steinberg et al 1994, Steinberg 1995 can prey on these rnicroscopic taxa which are not efficiently captured as individuals.…”

Section: Discussion Of Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A number of unique challenges had to be overcome in order to document and quantify feeding on natural marine snow. Marine snow is operationally defined as biogenic aggregates larger than 0.5 mm in diameter (Alldredge & Silver 1988). A particle defined as marine snow can include a variety of material of algal, microbial or animal origin, often reflecting the diverse components available in the water column that form it.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Organic aggregates >0.5 mm in diameter, known as marine snow, are formed by the coagulation of smaller particles such as phytoplankton and fecal pellets, or directly by gelatinous zooplankton as discarded mucous feeding structures (Alldredge & Silver 1988). Marine snow sinks rapidly from the surface ocean to the deep sea (100 to 1000 m d-l), forming a crucial link in the ocean's carbon cycle (Fowler & Knauer 1986).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…USA Aggregates can contain diverse microbial communities, including bacteria, flagellates and protozoans (reviewed in Alldredge & Silver 1988), as well as phytoplankton and fecal pellets. Marine snow is ubiquitous, and can comprise up to 63 % of the total particulate organic carbon in neritic waters (Alldredge & Silver 1988). Marine snow, therefore, represents a relatively large, localized concentration of edible material, suggesting.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Marine snow, therefore, represents a relatively large, localized concentration of edible material, suggesting. that it is potentially an important food so.urce for larger zooplankton (Alldredge & Silver 1988).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Feeding by the euphausiid Euphausia pacifica and the copepod Calanus pacificus on marine snow

Dilling¹,

Wilson²,

Steinberg³

et al. 1998

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

138

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ABSTRACT. Consumption and assi~mlation rates of marine zooplankton feeding on large, abundant aggregates, known as marine snow, were measured for the first time. Two common zooplankton species, the euphausiid Euphausia pacifica and the copepod Calanuspacificus, consumed diverse types of field-collected marine snow, including diatom flocs, abandoned larvacean houses, and dinoflagellate aggregates, regardless of their composition, C:N ratio, age, or the availability of alternate dispersed food. Ingest~on rates of aggregates by E. pacifica increased with Increasing marine snow concentration, although in situ concentrations of aggregates were not sufficient to elic~t a maximum ingestion rate Ingestion rates of aggregates by E. pacifica at higher aggregate concentrations were from 9 to 15 pg C euphausiid-' h-'. Assimilation efficiencies of euphausiids grazing on marine snow were 83 % (dinoflagellate snow) and 64 to 75% (diatom/larvacean house snow) These results indicate that marine snow can be an ~mportant food source for marine zooplankton and that consumption of large aggregates 1s likely to play a role in the cycling of carbon and the structure of food webs In the pelagic zone of the ocean.

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Section: Discussion Of Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Feeding by the euphausiid Euphausia pacifica and the copepod Calanus pacificus on marine snow

Dilling¹,

Wilson²,

Steinberg³

et al. 1998

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

138

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Biofilms in Natural and Drinking Water Systems

Manz

Szewzyk

Lawrence³

2003

Encyclopedia of Environmental Microbiology

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Biofilm Components Formation and Structure of Biofilms Identification of Biofilm Bacteria Assessment of Metabolic Activities Community Interactions Examples of Natural Biofilms

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Aggregates and Consortia, Microbial

Paerl¹,

Kuparinen²

2003

Encyclopedia of Environmental Microbiology

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Suspended and Solid Surfaces as Microenvironments Formation of Aggregates and Consortia Ecological and Biogeochemical Roles of Aggregates and Consortia Cyanobacterial Aggregates in Lakes, Oceans, and in the Brackish Baltic Sea Nitrogen‐Fixing Cyanobacterial ( Trichodesmium spp.) Aggregates in the Subtropical and Tropical Ocean Cyanobacterial Mats in a Temperate Marine Ecosystem: Bird Shoal, North Carolina Stromatolitic Mats of Highborne Cay, Exuma Sound, Bahamas Microbial Mats in Hypersaline Lakes: Consortia “At the Edge of Life” Aggregates and Mats in the Permanent Ice Cover of Lake Bonney, Mcmurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica Characterizing Aggregate and Mat Consortial Structure and Function

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Characteristics, dynamics and significance of marine snow

Cited by 1,266 publications

References 129 publications

Feeding by the euphausiid Euphausia pacifica and the copepod Calanus pacificus on marine snow

Feeding by the euphausiid Euphausia pacifica and the copepod Calanus pacificus on marine snow

Biofilms in Natural and Drinking Water Systems

Aggregates and Consortia, Microbial

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