Scientists say crushing deep-ocean pressure squeezes hidden nutrients out of sinking marine snow, feeding microbes and changing what we know about Earth’s carbon cycle

Immense deep-ocean pressure squeezes dissolved carbon and nitrogen from sinking marine snow particles.

The squeezed-out nutrients provide an immediate food source for deep-sea microbes.

The study, led by the University of Southern Denmark and published in Science Advances, found that sinking marine snow can lose up to 50% of its carbon and 58% of its nitrogen.

This process suggests more carbon escapes into deep ocean water than previously believed, potentially reshaping understanding of Earth's carbon cycle.

Lead author Peter Stief compares the pressure effect to a giant juicer releasing dissolved organic compounds.