Some dissolved organic carbon gets processed and released to the atmosphere quickly, while other forms of dissolved organic carbon mix down deep into the ocean and stay there for
thousands of years. If you wanted to figure out how to get more carbon to mix down deep in
the ocean, what kinds of questions would you need answered first?

Here hopes this helps

Explanation: At the surface, where bacteria quickly consume dissolved organic carbon, carbon in DOM is called “labile” because it cycles quickly. Deeper in the water, “semi-labile” carbon in DOM stays in the ocean for weeks or months before bacteria cause it to cycle to the atmosphere.

- RISHlLAUGH

a. european colonies