whale fall
Deep-sea bonanza
A whale fall is the carcass of a whale that has sunk to the ocean floor.
These massive deposits of organic matter create temporary ecosystems, sustaining deep-sea scavengers and specialized organisms for decades.
The term combines the animal with the sense of fall meaning descent: Scientists discovered a whale fall teeming with hagfish and bone-eating worms.
Breakdown into simpler parts
- blubberMarine mammal fat
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
- hagfishJawless, slime-producing marine fish
- scavengersCreatures consuming dead matter
decay · rotting · carrion · detritus · cadaver · putrefaction · amphipods · crabs
Extremely deep, unmeasurable
- seafloorOcean's solid base
- deep-seaOf ocean depths
- benthicOf the sea bottom
- sedimentParticles settling in liquid
anoxic · submarine canyon · trench · mud · substrate · pressure · darkness · isolated
Energy from chemical reactions
- successionFollowing in order
- colonizationForeign territorial takeover
- enrichmentImprovement through addition
- sulfideCompound with element sixteen
organic matter · biodegradation · anaerobic · food web · pioneer species · energy transfer · symbiosis
Underwater exploration vehicle
- ROVPiloted-from-above underwater craft
- sonarUnderwater detection by echoes
- discoveryAct of finding something
- observationAttentive watching or remark
experiment · monitoring · Monterey Bay · oceanography · marine biology · deep-sea exploration · documentation · sampling
Life found nowhere else
- mollusksSoft-bodied invertebrates, often shelled
- crustaceansExoskeleton-bearing aquatic arthropods
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
- adaptationFitting to new conditions
evolution · dispersal · stepping stones · connectivity · larvae · recruitment
decomposition
Breakdown into simpler parts
- blubberMarine mammal fat
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
- hagfishJawless, slime-producing marine fish
scavengers · decay · rotting · carrion · detritus · cadaver · putrefaction · amphipods · crabs · tissue
abyssal
Extremely deep, unmeasurable
sediment · anoxic · submarine canyon · trench · mud · substrate · pressure · darkness · isolated · patchy
chemosynthesis
Energy from chemical reactions
- successionFollowing in order
- colonizationForeign territorial takeover
- enrichmentImprovement through addition
sulfide · organic matter · biodegradation · anaerobic · food web · pioneer species · energy transfer · symbiosis
submersible
Underwater exploration vehicle
- ROVPiloted-from-above underwater craft
- sonarUnderwater detection by echoes
- discoveryAct of finding something
observation · experiment · monitoring · Monterey Bay · oceanography · marine biology · deep-sea exploration · documentation · sampling · time-lapse
endemic species
Life found nowhere else
- mollusksSoft-bodied invertebrates, often shelled
- crustaceansExoskeleton-bearing aquatic arthropods
- bacteriaNucleus-free single-celled organisms
adaptation · evolution · dispersal · stepping stones · connectivity · larvae · recruitment