Most of the seafloor is a thick graveyard of ooze

February 18, 2023 7:54 AM

Each year, several trillion pounds of microscopic silicon-based skeletons fall down the water column to pile up into siliceous ooze.
posted by tiny frying pan (25 comments total)

Meanwhile, white sand on the beach is mostly composed of parrotfish poop. Each parrotfish can nosh down about a thousand pounds of coral per year, and it comes out as sand. (They're actually good for the ecosystem though, trimming the parts that are overrun with algae, and a good signal of coral reef health.)
posted by kaibutsu at 8:00 AM on February 18, 2023 [14 favorites]

Comment from 8 y.o.: Noice.
posted by medusa at 8:10 AM on February 18, 2023 [2 favorites]

In a year, one large parrotfish can produce 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of sand, the weight of a baby grand piano.

Cool, kaibutsu!
posted by tiny frying pan at 8:28 AM on February 18, 2023

That's wild!
posted by Meatbomb at 9:10 AM on February 18, 2023

To be fair, like Avery finely ground baby grand, which I’m sure makes the parrotfish happy.
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:52 AM on February 18, 2023

Metafilter: a thick graveyard of ooze
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 11:08 AM on February 18, 2023 [9 favorites]

MetaFilter: mostly composed of parrotfish poop
posted by chavenet at 11:53 AM on February 18, 2023 [6 favorites]

Meanwhile, white sand on the beach is mostly composed of parrotfish poop.

I did not know anything about that or parrotfish teeth until that article, and only knew a little bit about sea ooze. I learned things today, and I can unironically say that this kind of thing really is the best of MetaFilter.
posted by Mr. Bad Example at 1:38 PM on February 18, 2023 [10 favorites]

[silecious ooze / salacious crumb joke]
posted by GCU Sweet and Full of Grace at 2:07 PM on February 18, 2023 [2 favorites]

"morbid ooze" - today's metal name for you all.
posted by doctornemo at 2:27 PM on February 18, 2023 [2 favorites]

How does one take it when something held up as an example of excellence is being held up by Mr. Bad Example?
posted by hippybear at 3:13 PM on February 18, 2023 [3 favorites]

Take it with a grain of parrot fish poop!

Also, silecious ooze perfectly describes my philosophic approach to dusting.
posted by winesong at 3:31 PM on February 18, 2023

Quentin Crisp on dusting: "There is no need to do any housework at all. After the first four years the dirt doesn't get any worse."
posted by hippybear at 3:49 PM on February 18, 2023 [5 favorites]

Meanwhile, white sand on the beach is mostly composed of parrotfish poop. Each parrotfish can nosh down about a thousand pounds of coral per year, and it comes out as sand. (They're actually good for the ecosystem though, trimming the parts that are overrun with algae, and a good signal of coral reef health.)

However, this is not true of all the sand in the world -- most beaches are made of quartz sand.
posted by cubeb at 5:22 PM on February 18, 2023 [2 favorites]

Which fish shits quartz sand?
posted by Jawn at 5:47 PM on February 18, 2023 [2 favorites]

The sand at White Sands National Park is made of gypsum.
posted by hippybear at 6:05 PM on February 18, 2023 [1 favorite]

...to pile up into siliceous ooze.

I think you mean "delicious" ooze? A zillion invertebrates can't be wrong.
posted by not_on_display at 7:39 PM on February 18, 2023 [2 favorites]

Which fish shits quartz sand?

This sentence is really difficult to say out loud repeatedly. Congratulations on inventing a new tongue twister!
posted by hippybear at 8:19 PM on February 18, 2023 [8 favorites]

Five-sixths of pelagic yellowtail amberjacks shit quartz sand.

Not true but it's a pangram!
posted by equalpants at 3:24 AM on February 19, 2023 [7 favorites]

Sedimentary rocks have to come from somewhere.
posted by Devils Rancher at 6:27 AM on February 19, 2023 [1 favorite]

There are two main sorts of ooze, each with different embodiments. Combined, they cover the majority of Earth’s seafloor.

I love learning!!
posted by EatTheWeek at 9:50 AM on February 19, 2023 [1 favorite]

something Twitter something something see floor.
posted by snuffleupagus at 10:53 AM on February 19, 2023

Kunstformen der Natur, by Ernst Haeckel, is available on the Internet Archive in pretty good resolution. Such lovely illustrations!
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 11:19 AM on February 19, 2023 [2 favorites]

The reference to dust brought to mind McSorley's bar. I was unaware (and sorry to learn) that the Health Department had the publican take them wishbones.
posted by BWA at 2:37 PM on February 19, 2023

In a year, one large parrotfish can produce 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of sand, the weight of a baby grand piano.
This is amazing to watch - I could float for hours watching parrotfish do their thing, not to mention everything else happening around a healthy reef. Just fascinating and I hope my grandkids get to actually see it.
posted by dg at 4:37 PM on February 19, 2023