Fun Fact: The Whale Fall

Whales Fall, Ecosystems Rise

The blue whale is the largest known animal on earth and possibly the largest animal to ever exist. Whales are massive creatures that can scientists can even monitor from space. Many people enjoy whale watching, as many whales travel in groups. Now we have all seen whales wash up on shore, an unfortunate site to see of course. Although have any of you ever though about what happens when whales die and do not end up on shore? I'm talking about the whale fall. An amazing series of events that leads to sustaining more life than we can imagine. Before I dive too deep into details, lets talk about how the whale fall was discovered.

Discovery

Surprisingly this discovery dates as far back as 1854. A new species of mussel was found inside a piece of floating whale blubber. In 1960 deep sea trawlers discovered new species of mollusca attached to the bones of fallen whales. Most of these discoveries happen by accident as it is hard not only to monitor where a whale dies but also where the carcass lands on the ocean floor. Some discoveries were not even by scientists at all but instead naval submarines. These discoveries made possible by their advanced radar and sonar scanners to detect large masses.

So what exactly happens to the whale carcass? Well think of the whale carcass like a sunken ship you see in movies or pictures. What does the ship look like after x amount of years? Most likely covered in algae, clams or mussels, corals, and fish swimming throughout it. This is almost the exact same thing that happens with whale falls. Wood falls, when a tree sinks to the bottom of a river bed, or large amounts of kelp or seaweed fall to create an abundance of nutrients. These are all bases for new life to grow.

Stages of Falling

Scientists have broken the whale fall into three stages. Stage one is possibly the most obvious involving scavengers. hagfish or sharks will consume the soft tissue of the whale for approximately 100 lbs per day for up to two years. No that is not a typo, they can consume a single whale for up to two years. Once the scavengers have had their fill enrichment opportunist take there shot at the remaining carcass. They settle amongst the remaining tissue, and colonize on the bone structures. This process can also take about two years. So now the whale has fallen four years ago and we have seen scavengers and colonies take full advantage.

Stage three is where the fun begins for scientists. Sulfophilic bacteria take center stage and begin breaking down lipids in the whale's bones. These bacterial blankets provide the proper nutrients for mussels, clams, sea snails, and limpets. This process can take between 50-100 years. Just a single whale can provide life for dozens of organisms for a century. You could be born the day a whale perishes and may not see the end of the ecosystem the carcass has created.

Truly a fascinating discovery. Something to keep in mind if you go whale watching or ever have an opportunity to see a whale.

That's your daily brain gain!