About 10 years ago, the use of sediment traps to measure oceanic particle fluxes and composition began to proliferate (Honjo, 1978; Rowe and Gardner, 1979: Knauer et al., 1979: Honjo, 1980: Deuser et al.. 1981). This technique has now become widespread. Research on particle composition and flux using sediment-trap and other large-particle sampling technologies has clearly shown the importance of particulate matter in global biogeochemical cycles. It has become a major goal within the oceanographic community to understand the processes controlling particle production, transport and destruction on both small and large scales (National Academy of Sciences, 1984; Alldredge and Hartwig, 1986). Particularly important to these studies is an accurate estimate of particle production and flux in surface waters.

Lee, C., S.G. Wakeham, and J.I. Hedges. 1988. The measurement of oceanic particle flux—Are “swimmers” a problem? Oceanography 1(2):34–36, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.1988.06.

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