What is the role of dissolved organic matter in the deep sea? In a study relating to this question, researchers have investigated the composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in detail. Their ...

What is the role of dissolved organic matter in the deep sea? In a study relating to this question, researchers from the ...

These birds weren’t victims of an oil spill, however. They were caught in a natural process where oil seeps out of the seafloor — a phenomenon that intensifies during the spring, Masvidal said.

Because microorganisms preferentially break down water-soluble organic molecules, it is important to understand how hydrothermal processes mobilize DOM, for example, those from natural oil seeps.