Marine mucilage
Encyclopedia
Sea snot or marine mucilage is a collection of mucus
-like organic matter found in the sea. Sea snot forms when globs of marine snow
coagulate into large globs that can span distances as large as 124 miles. A recent increase in the amount of sea snot in the Mediterranean
and other seas may be the result of climate change
. Warmer, slower moving waters increase the production of sea snot and allow it to accumulate in massive blobs.
Sea snot was first reported in 1729 and has long been seen as a nuisance to the fishing industry and costal populations. However, sea snot has emerged as serious hazard. Globs of sea snot can harbor bacteria such as E. coli that threaten maritime flora and fauna as well as humans exposed to contaminated water. It is formed from the aggregation of "marine snow
". The mucilage has many components, including a wide range of microorganisms including virus
es and prokaryote
s, and exopolymer
ic compounds with colloidal properties.
The BP oil spill
created large amounts of sea snot. Scientists are not sure how exactly the spill caused the so much sea snot to form, but one theory asserts that the sea snot could have been the result of a massive kill of microscopic marine life creating a "blizzard" of marine snow. Moreover, scientists worry that the mass of sea snot could pose a biohazard to surviving marine life in the area.
Mucus
In vertebrates, mucus is a slippery secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. Mucous fluid is typically produced from mucous cells found in mucous glands. Mucous cells secrete products that are rich in glycoproteins and water. Mucous fluid may also originate from mixed glands, which...
-like organic matter found in the sea. Sea snot forms when globs of marine snow
Marine snow
In the deep ocean, marine snow is a continuous shower of mostly organic detritus falling from the upper layers of the water column. It is a significant means of exporting energy from the light-rich photic zone to the aphotic zone below. The term was first coined by the explorer William Beebe as he...
coagulate into large globs that can span distances as large as 124 miles. A recent increase in the amount of sea snot in the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
and other seas may be the result of climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
. Warmer, slower moving waters increase the production of sea snot and allow it to accumulate in massive blobs.
Sea snot was first reported in 1729 and has long been seen as a nuisance to the fishing industry and costal populations. However, sea snot has emerged as serious hazard. Globs of sea snot can harbor bacteria such as E. coli that threaten maritime flora and fauna as well as humans exposed to contaminated water. It is formed from the aggregation of "marine snow
Marine snow
In the deep ocean, marine snow is a continuous shower of mostly organic detritus falling from the upper layers of the water column. It is a significant means of exporting energy from the light-rich photic zone to the aphotic zone below. The term was first coined by the explorer William Beebe as he...
". The mucilage has many components, including a wide range of microorganisms including virus
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
es and prokaryote
Prokaryote
The prokaryotes are a group of organisms that lack a cell nucleus , or any other membrane-bound organelles. The organisms that have a cell nucleus are called eukaryotes. Most prokaryotes are unicellular, but a few such as myxobacteria have multicellular stages in their life cycles...
s, and exopolymer
Exopolymer
An exopolymer is a biopolymer that is secreted by an organism into the environment . These exopolymers include the biofilms produced by bacteria to anchor them and protect them from environmental conditions....
ic compounds with colloidal properties.
The BP oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
created large amounts of sea snot. Scientists are not sure how exactly the spill caused the so much sea snot to form, but one theory asserts that the sea snot could have been the result of a massive kill of microscopic marine life creating a "blizzard" of marine snow. Moreover, scientists worry that the mass of sea snot could pose a biohazard to surviving marine life in the area.