Photographic Evidence for the Rapid Flux of Particles to the Sea-Floor and Their Transport down the Continental-Slope

Flocculent, detrital material was photographed on the sea floor between 450 and 2400 m during two camera-sled tows conducted along a transect on the continental slope south of Georges Bank in the spring of 1985. The two tows were taken slightly less than 5 days apart (27 April and 1-2 May). Photographs were taken at automatic 15-s intervals throughout each tow. The consistency and color of the detrital material and the timing of its deposition indicate that the spring bloom was the most likely source of this material. With the exception of the upper slope, substantially more detrital material was seen at the time of the second tow. The pattern of relative amounts of detritus visible on the sea floor across the slope indicated a preferential settlement of particles on the middle slope and a downslope shift of material between the first and second tow. These results suggest that continental margin processes may play an important role in the transfer of organic material to the deep sea.