Snow alga may be sizable carbon sink

A common microorganism that adds color to some patches of snow may be a significant consumer of planet-warming carbon dioxide, researchers say.

The single-celled alga Chlamydomonas nivalis lends a reddish tinge to what’s known as watermelon snow (SN: 5/20/00, p. 328: Red Snow, Green Snow). The microbe appears to be global. It’s been found in New Zealand, Australia, Europe, and North America, says Thomas C.