Norfolk - ever imagine, there are also islands in the ocean for the germs? The island had become an ideal place for germs to breed and spread waterborne diseases (acquired and transmitted in water).
The island is actually a "marine snow, or marine snow formed from the remnants of dead organisms. Named because of its form is the sea of snow-white flakes floating in sea water.
Dead animals and dead vegetation around the coast will rot and decompose, and the remainder in the form of floating marine snow before finally settles with sand and other objects. Sometimes, the snow became food for marine fish and shellfish in the ocean.
Dikutiip from LiveScience, Friday (5/14/2010), the researchers found that marine snow deposition not only become fish food. For germs such as viruses and bacteria, sediment marine snow is like a friendly island for shelter.
When in sea water, germs must fight against various threats such as sunlight, salinity or high salinity, and predators. Sheltered between marine snow deposition makes germs more able to survive and even breed.
"The remains of decomposition of micro-organisms providing a favorable climate for the germs. If not controlled, marine snow can be a growth medium pathogenic germs," said Fred Dobbs from Old Dominion University who participated in the study.
In the snow-sea sediments, these germs metabolism increases (which means to be more active). Types of germs in place also more diverse than those observed in water samples.
This reinforces the conclusion that marine snow deposition is a good shelter for the bacteria. The researchers also found several types of pathogens capable of breeding at the site.
Nevertheless, researchers trouble seeing possibility of transmission of pathogenic germs to humans. The nature of marine snow drifting though has formed can complicate sediment sampling.
According to the researchers, there are few things more likely to be further investigated. For example, how long germs could thrive, and the relationship between the size of marine snow deposition with how various types of germs that live in it.
The research was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF)-National Institutes of Health (NIH) Ecology of Infectious Diseases (EID). The results were published in the journal Aquatic Microbial Ecology edition of May 4, 2010.
The island is actually a "marine snow, or marine snow formed from the remnants of dead organisms. Named because of its form is the sea of snow-white flakes floating in sea water.
Dead animals and dead vegetation around the coast will rot and decompose, and the remainder in the form of floating marine snow before finally settles with sand and other objects. Sometimes, the snow became food for marine fish and shellfish in the ocean.
Dikutiip from LiveScience, Friday (5/14/2010), the researchers found that marine snow deposition not only become fish food. For germs such as viruses and bacteria, sediment marine snow is like a friendly island for shelter.
When in sea water, germs must fight against various threats such as sunlight, salinity or high salinity, and predators. Sheltered between marine snow deposition makes germs more able to survive and even breed.
"The remains of decomposition of micro-organisms providing a favorable climate for the germs. If not controlled, marine snow can be a growth medium pathogenic germs," said Fred Dobbs from Old Dominion University who participated in the study.
In the snow-sea sediments, these germs metabolism increases (which means to be more active). Types of germs in place also more diverse than those observed in water samples.
This reinforces the conclusion that marine snow deposition is a good shelter for the bacteria. The researchers also found several types of pathogens capable of breeding at the site.
Nevertheless, researchers trouble seeing possibility of transmission of pathogenic germs to humans. The nature of marine snow drifting though has formed can complicate sediment sampling.
According to the researchers, there are few things more likely to be further investigated. For example, how long germs could thrive, and the relationship between the size of marine snow deposition with how various types of germs that live in it.
The research was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF)-National Institutes of Health (NIH) Ecology of Infectious Diseases (EID). The results were published in the journal Aquatic Microbial Ecology edition of May 4, 2010.
