Bacteria may subsequently solubilise and remineralise aggregated particles.
Thomas Kiørboe 2001, 'Formation and fate of marine snow: small-scale processes with large- scale implications',Scientia Marinahttp://scientiamarina.revistas.csic.es/index.php/scientiamarina/article/view/682. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)
They transfer organic carbon to higher trophic levels and remineralise it into inorganic forms.
Jordan D. Lin, Matthew A. Lemay, Matthew A. Lemay, Laura W. Parfrey, Laura W. Parfrey,Laura W. Parfrey 2018, 'Diverse Bacteria Utilize Alginate Within the Microbiome of the Giant Kelp Macrocystispyrifera', Frontiers in Microbiologyhttps://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01914/full. Retrieved from DOAJ CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode)