All articles tagged with #whale fall
Scientists have discovered a thriving and complex ecosystem around a decaying giant sea creature in the deep ocean, revealing the ecological importance of whale falls in supporting biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and potentially influencing global carbon cycles, thus offering insights into ocean health and resilience.
Scientists discovered a relatively fresh whale carcass at 3,238 meters depth off California, supporting a diverse deep-sea ecosystem that can last for decades, highlighting the importance of whale falls in oceanic food webs.
Researchers captured footage of whale falls, where the remains of large marine creatures like whales create complex, long-lasting ecosystems on the ocean floor, supporting diverse deep-sea life and offering insights into ocean health and carbon cycling.
Scientists have returned to a whale fall off the coast of British Columbia for the third time in a decade to observe the life still thriving on the decomposing skeleton of a gray whale. The whale's body provides vital nutrients for a succession of sea creatures, with different stages of decomposition supporting different organisms. The recent expedition, which included a photogrammetry survey, will contribute to the understanding of the entire life-supporting cycle of whale falls and provide valuable data for marine biologists.
Scientists have returned to a whale fall off the coast of British Columbia for the third time in a decade to observe the life still thriving on the decomposing skeleton of a gray whale. The whale's body provides vital nutrients for a succession of sea creatures, with different stages of decomposition supporting different organisms. The recent expedition, which included a photogrammetry survey, will contribute to the understanding of the entire life-supporting cycle of whale falls and provide valuable data for marine biologists.
The remains of a whale carcass discovered deep in the North Pacific Ocean off the coast of British Columbia have created a thriving mini ecosystem, known as a "whale fall," that continues to support diverse marine life. Scientists have been studying the decomposition rate and changes in biodiversity at the site since 2012. The recent expedition by the Ocean Exploration Trust's EV Nautilus provided high-resolution video and a survey of the whale fall, revealing a rich benthic fauna including limpets, sea snails, isopods, crabs, rattail fish, and tube worms. The discovery sheds light on how whale carcasses sustain life in the otherwise food-poor deep-sea floor.