A recent discovery has revealed the incredible importance of whale falls to deep-sea ecosystems. The process, known as whale fall, allows a large marine mammal’s body to drift to the ocean floor, providing sustenance for deep-sea creatures and supporting a rich benthic fauna. This unique ecosystem is composed of three stages: Mobile Scavenger, Enrichment Opportunist, and Sulfophilic, each stage offering its own benefits to the succession of deep sea creatures.
The Biological Journey of a Dead Whale’s Body to its Deep Sea Resting Place
A Process Known as “Whale Fall”
When a large marine mammal like a whale dies, its body drifts to the ocean floor in a process known as whale fall. This process is vital for the survival of the creatures who live in these food-poor regions of the ocean.
The Three Stages of Whale Decomposition
A whale’s body decomposes in three stages—Mobile Scavenger, Enrichment Opportunist, and Sulfophilic—and each stage provides its own benefits to a succession of deep sea creatures.
Mobile Scavenger Stage
In the Mobile Scavenger stage, eelpouts strip the skeleton of blubber while providing sustenance for deep sea octopuses.
The Growing Sea Community Living Among the Whale’s Skeleton
Documenting Life on the Seafloor
In 2012 and 2020, Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) scientists took brief detours to revisit the site—located some 4,100 feet below the ocean’s surface—to document the growing sea community living among the whale’s skeleton. ONC, along with Ocean Exploration Trust’s (OET) EV Nautilus, returned to the site in 2023 to find the skeleton still teeming with life nearly 15 years after the carcass was discovered on the seafloor.
The Incredible Discovery of Life Among the Whale’s Skeleton
A Rich Benthic Fauna
Thankfully, they uploaded footage of their incredible discovery to YouTube. “The skeleton supports a rich benthic fauna (organisms that live near the seafloor), including many invertebrates and a few fish species,” OET writes in a blog post about the expedition.
The Deep Sea Creatures Living Among the Whale’s Skeleton
Tube Worms Making a Home on the Left Jaw Bone
These tube worms, likely the same individuals seen in 2009, are still making a home on the left jaw bone of the whale, which is remarkable. A whale’s body decomposes in three stages—Mobile Scavenger, Enrichment Opportunist, and Sulfophilic—and each stage provides its own benefits to a succession of deep sea creatures.
The Importance of Whale Falls to Deep-Sea Ecosystems
Supporting a Rich Benthic Fauna
Whale falls provide sustenance for deep-sea creatures and support a rich benthic fauna. They play a vital role in maintaining the balance of deep-sea ecosystems.
- popularmechanics.com | This Whale Died Decades Ago. Its Carcass Is Now the Oceans ...
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