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Animals possessing bilateral symmetry, segmented bodies and jointed exoskeletons.

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Feeding The Deep
Teacher Contributed

Feeding The Deep

Student Exploration

It's Snowing! Sort of...

Sunlight is the primary energy source for life on Earth. But wait how does that work for a place like the deep-sea that never sees sunlight? Some people say deep-sea life owes its existence to the "Fecal Express" but most people just refer to marine snow. Find out more about this process here: http://schaechter.asmblog.org/schaechter/2010/09/marine-snow-dead-organisms-and-poop-as-manna-in-the-ocean.html and here: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/marinesnow.html

But in this wonderful world, the closer you look the more detail you see. Basic marine snow is not the only way for “food” to make it to the deep. In this video you’ll find out about another not totally unconnected food source and how it affects biodiversity.

Extension Investigation

Use the below resources to answer the following questions

  1. How does the disturbance caused by feeding organisms affect biodiversity by submarine canyon walls?
  2. How did the Chernobyl disaster aid the study of marine snow?
  3. List three factors that affect the sinking rate of marine snow. Explain how these factors affect sinking rates.

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