Article Title: The Prolific Afterlife of Whales
Author: Crispin T. S. Little
The carcasses of one of the largest mammals on Earth give life to organisms. One dead whale can nourish an ecosystem for decades. Scientists have discovered unknown species and found some organisms living in the whale that are normally found in the deep ocean or hydrothermal vents. They have documented dozens of communities that are supported by sunken whale carcasses and have described that more than 400 species are living in and around them, of which at least 30 have not been seen anywhere else. Researchers observed that whale falls go through 3 ecological stages. The first, the mobile scavenger stage, starts when a whale carcass arrives at the ocean floor. Scavengers, like hagfish and sleeper sharks, then strip away the bulk of the whale soft tissue - muscle, blubber, and internal organs. This can last up to 2 years, depending on the size of the whale. The second stage is called the enrichment opportunist, which lasts up to 2 years too. Communities of animals colonize the sediments surrounding the whale carcasses and the bones. They feed on the blubber and scraps of nutritious soft tissue left over by the scavengers. The final stage is known as the sulfophilic stage. In this stage, specialized bacteria breaks down the lipids in the bones. The third stage lasts the longest; about 50 to 100 years.
I learned something new after reading this article. I learned that a dead whale can provide food for organisms. Whales are important, even when they are dead, because they nourish an ecosystem. Without whale carcasses, scientists would not be able to discover new species. It's amazing that whale are useful after life and are dependable to other organisms. It's kind of gross to me that animals rely on a whale carcass for nutrients. But we humans rely on meat and fish for proteins, so I can't say anything about that. As much as I don't whales to die because they are so cute and peaceful; it's good that when whales die, they do something important for the ecosystem.
Author: Crispin T. S. Little
- Whale carcass can nourish an entire ecosystem.
- New mollusk species recovered from bones.
- In 1987, a dead whale was found with an unknown species of limpet.
- Whale skeletons might act as “stepping-stones” for deep-sea animals to spread from one chemosynthetic community to another.
- Whale falls go through 3 stages: Mobile scavenger, enrichment opportunist, and sulfophilic.
- First stage is when scavengers strip away the bulk of the whale tissue - blubber, muscle, and internal organs. Can last up to 2 years, depending on the size of the whale.
- Second stage is when a high density of animals colonize the sediments surrounding the carcass and feed on the blubber and tissue left by scavengers. Lasts up to 2 years.
- Third stage occurs once the tissue is gone and bacteria break down lipids in the bones. Can last up to 50 years, to even a century.
- Anaerobic bacteria produce hydrogen sulfide, which sulfophilic bacteria use for energy. The sulfophilic bacteria support all other organism.
- Whale bones are extremely rich in lipids.
- 69,000 great whales die each year.
The carcasses of one of the largest mammals on Earth give life to organisms. One dead whale can nourish an ecosystem for decades. Scientists have discovered unknown species and found some organisms living in the whale that are normally found in the deep ocean or hydrothermal vents. They have documented dozens of communities that are supported by sunken whale carcasses and have described that more than 400 species are living in and around them, of which at least 30 have not been seen anywhere else. Researchers observed that whale falls go through 3 ecological stages. The first, the mobile scavenger stage, starts when a whale carcass arrives at the ocean floor. Scavengers, like hagfish and sleeper sharks, then strip away the bulk of the whale soft tissue - muscle, blubber, and internal organs. This can last up to 2 years, depending on the size of the whale. The second stage is called the enrichment opportunist, which lasts up to 2 years too. Communities of animals colonize the sediments surrounding the whale carcasses and the bones. They feed on the blubber and scraps of nutritious soft tissue left over by the scavengers. The final stage is known as the sulfophilic stage. In this stage, specialized bacteria breaks down the lipids in the bones. The third stage lasts the longest; about 50 to 100 years.
I learned something new after reading this article. I learned that a dead whale can provide food for organisms. Whales are important, even when they are dead, because they nourish an ecosystem. Without whale carcasses, scientists would not be able to discover new species. It's amazing that whale are useful after life and are dependable to other organisms. It's kind of gross to me that animals rely on a whale carcass for nutrients. But we humans rely on meat and fish for proteins, so I can't say anything about that. As much as I don't whales to die because they are so cute and peaceful; it's good that when whales die, they do something important for the ecosystem.