A Dead Whale Can Feed Deep-Sea Life for Decades

In the deep sea, food is scarce, so a dead whale is a feast. NOAA’s National Ocean Service explains that when whales die and sink, their carcasses, known as whale falls, provide a sudden, concentrated food source for organisms in the deep sea. Different stages in the decomposition of the carcass support a succession of different marine communities. The skeleton lasts longest. NOAA states that the whale skeleton can support rich communities for years to decades, both as a hard surface for animals to settle on and as a source of sulfides released as the bones decay. Microbes live off the energy from those chemical reactions and form the basis of ecosystems for as long as the food lasts. Researchers do find them. In 2019 an expedition discovered a whale fall 10,623 feet below the surface in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.