Introduction
Marine snow is loosely defined as inanimate particles
with a diameter greater than 0.5 mm. These particles
sink at high rates and are thought to be the principal
vehicles by which material sinks in the oceans. In
addition to this high sinking rate they have characteristic
properties in terms of the microenvironments
within them, their chemical composition, the rates of
bacterial activity and the fauna associated with them.
These properties make such particles important
elements in influencing the structure of marine food
webs and biogeochemical cycles throughout the
world’s oceans.