Editorial: the oceanic particle flux and its cycling within the deep water column

Abstract

The oceanic particle flux transfers energy and material from the surface through the water column to the seafloor. (See review by Conte (2019) and references therein). The particle flux fuels life below the sunlit photic zone, exerts a major control on the global cycling of carbon and particle-associated elements, and also plays a major role in long-term carbon sequestration. In this Research Topic we present a collection of articles that provide a broad overview of current research on the interlinked processes controlling the magnitude and composition of the oceanic particle flux, and its cycling and depth attenuation within the deep water column.