Research Summary
Oil and plastics float, and are usually thought to accumulate at the sea surface. But in reality, ocean life helps carry carbon—and these contaminants—down into deeper waters. To understand how this process sequesters carbon in cold-water ecosystems, such as the Canadian Arctic, we need accurate models to predict its efficiency. But current models lack information about how quickly marine snow (tiny clumps of organic matter) sinks or how often it breaks apart. As Canada Research Chair in Biological Oceanographic Processes, Dr. Uta Passow aims to fill this knowledge gap.
She and her research team are studying how the sinking speed of marine snow clumps—aggregates of organic matter—relates to their composition and size. They are also tracking how microplastics move through the ocean and exploring whether native aquatic microbes can break down oil in the ocean. Ultimately, their findings will improve our ability to monitor carbon budgets, assess the impacts of plastic on marine ecosystems, and plan effective oil spill responses.