Biological Snowfall: Analyzing Marine Snow Microstructure and Composition

Much like delicate snowfall, marine snow forms intricate, layered structures composed of organic matter and microbes, playing a critical role in the ocean's carbon cycle through enhanced carbon sequestration. Marine snow is defined as the macroscopic aggregates (greater than 500 micrometers) of phytoplankton, bacteria, detrital material, minerals, and polymeric materials. The latter falls into two classes: extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) and transparent exopolymer particles (TEP). EPS (both polysaccharides and proteins) and TEP (polysaccharides) are operationally defined, and reflect measurements of different components of the polymeric milieu. This research introduces a novel staining technique that combines Concanavalin A, Alcian Blue, and DAPI to visualize and quantify each component within marine snow aggregates. This developed method addresses the limitations of previous research by providing an enhanced view of individual aggregates. Key objectives include determining the relative areas and proportions of EPS, TEP, and bacteria within aggregates and comparing them with surrounding seawater both before and after marine snow formation using roller tanks. Furthermore, this approach facilitates comparative studies across different environments, such as pelagic and neritic zones, as well as seasonal variations. The visual results will also serve to validate traditional spectrophotometric methods. Ultimately, this research aims to enrich future modeling efforts by incorporating more precise parameters related to microbial interactions and marine snow.

Presentation Preference: Poster

Primary Presenter: Dylan Buchmiller, Texas A&M University at Galveston (dylan.buchmiller@tamu.edu)

Authors:

Dylan Buchmiller, Texas A&M University  (dylan.buchmiller@tamu.edu)

Alyssa Antolak, Texas A&M University  (akantolak@tamu.edu)

Chen Xu, Texas A&M University  (xuc@tamug.edu)

Antonietta Quigg, Texas A&M University  (quigga@tamug.edu)