Whale fall: Encyclopedia - Whale fall

Whale fall

Whale fall is the term used for a whale carcass that has fallen to the ocean floor. When a whale dies in shallow water, its carcass is typically devoured by scavengers over a relatively short period of time - within several months. However, in deeper water (depths of 2000m or greater), fewer scavenger species exist, and the carcass can provide sustenance for a complex localized ecosystem over periods of up to 100 years.

Some of the organisms that have been observed at whale falls are lobsters, crabs, sea cucumbers, octopuses, and clams. Whale falls are often inhabited by large colonies of tubeworms. Over 15 previously unknown species have been discovered at whale falls.

A whale fall was first observed by marine biologists in 1987, discovered by chance by the submersible Alvin. Whale falls have since been found by other scientists, and by military submarines. They can be found by using side-scan sonar to examine the ocean floor for large aggregations of matter.

Marine biologists sometimes transport dead whales that have washed up on coastlines, towing them offshore to create a whale fall at a known location that can then be studied over a long period of time.

Some scientists speculate that certain deep-sea species may use whale falls as stepping-stones to extend their range and colonize other ecosystems, such as hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. Given that whale deaths occur at locations that are largely random, carcasses are believed to exist at many locations on the seabed, with average spacings estimated at 25 km.

Similar ecosystems exist when other large volumes of nutrient-rich material fall to the sea floor. Sunken beds of kelp create kelp falls, and large trees can sink to create wood falls.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Whale fall", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki