Does Desert Dust Help Ocean Life?

Dust from the Sahara Desert blows long distances before settling in the Atlantic Ocean. As dust travels from the desert to the ocean, it picks up iron, which is necessary for marine organisms like phytoplankton. A new study shows that the further the dust travels, the more bioreactive (available to other organisms) the iron becomes due to chemical processes in the atmosphere.

From the desert to the sea, God instilled interconnectedness in his creation. The dust blowing from the Sahara to the Atlantic Ocean shows that he created the wondrous processes necessary to keep life going even in our fallen world.

This article is from Answers magazine, April–June, 2025, p. 18.