Feast and Famine on the Abyssal Plain

The primary food source in the abyssal plain (miles below the earths surface) is "marine snow". Marine snow is a slow drift of mucus,  fecal pellets, and body parts. One problem with this  "snow" is that there is too much snow than actual food in the area eaten by animals in the area, researchers have found. "A new paper by MBARI researcher Ken Smith and his colleagues show that the population booms by algae or animals near the sea surface can sometimes result in huge pulses of organic material sinking to the sea floor." (Science Daily.com) Smith, along with other researchers have studied the abyssal plain for over 20 years.

So much Marine Snow falls in that area that in a few weeks that it is equal in normal deep-sea environments. However, the amount of snow that falls in that area is not sufficient enough to provide for all of the organisms in the area.  The Abyssal Plain is located off the coast of Central California and is home to a vast variety of animals such as sea cucumbers and grenadier fish. Researchers note that the area has strong winds which can bring more nutrients to the oceans surface causing algae blooms.

Website: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131111185518.htm
Picture:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131111185518.htm