John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
New research led by Stanford University has uncovered a previously unknown factor that could alter our understanding of how oceans help mitigate climate change. The study, published on October 10 in the journal Science, identifies mucus "parachutes" produced by microscopic marine organisms that slow their sinking. This discovery suggests previous estimates of the ocean's carbon sequestration potential may have been too high, but it also offers opportunities to improve climate models and guide policymakers.
"We haven’t been looking the right way," said Manu Prakash, senior author of the study and an associate professor at Stanford. "What we found underscores the importance of fundamental scientific observation and the need to study natural processes in their true environments. It’s critical to our ability to mitigate climate change."
The ocean sequesters between 5-10 gigatons of carbon annually. If plankton sink deep enough, this carbon can be stored away from the atmosphere for thousands of years. Marine snow—a mix of dead phytoplankton, bacteria, fecal pellets, and other organic particles—absorbs about a third of human-made carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and transports it to the ocean floor.
Using a rotating microscope developed in Prakash's lab, researchers were able to observe marine snow in its natural environment for the first time. The device simulates vertical travel over infinite distances while adjusting conditions like temperature and pressure.
The findings revealed that marine snow sometimes forms parachute-like mucus structures that double the time these particles remain suspended in upper ocean layers. This delay increases chances for microbes to break down organic carbon within marine snow particles, converting it back into available organic carbon for other plankton.
"Theory tells you how a flow around a small particle looks like, but what we saw on the boat was dramatically different," said Rahul Chajwa, lead author and postdoctoral scholar in Prakash's lab. "We are at the beginning of understanding these complex dynamics."
Prakash emphasized conducting scientific measurements as close as possible to their natural environments is crucial for accurate observations.
"We cannot even ask the fundamental question of what life does without emulating the environment that it evolved with," he stated.
This work is supported by several organizations including Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability’s Oceans Department and Dalio Philanthropies.
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