Whale fall — ecological cycle in the deep ocean

Yesterday, the Chinese Academy of Sciences “exploration one” ship carrying “deep sea warrior” manned submersible arrived in Sanya smoothly. This voyage started on March 10. One of the significant achievements of this voyage is that scientists first found a whale fall about 3 meters long in the South China Sea. Whale fall with hydrothermal and cold springs are called the “oasis” of deep-sea life. Experts said that at present, less than 50 modern natural whale fall had been found in the world, and the newly discovered whalebone has a long-term observation value for the change of the marine environment.

The ocean’s depths are supplied by nutrients falling down from the surface waters. Whale fall refers to a unique ecosystem formed by the slow sinking of a whale’s body into the seafloor when it dies in the ocean. Whale fall can provide a circulatory system dominated by decomposers for up to a hundred years.

Different stages of whale carcass decomposition support a range of marine communities. Scavengers eat soft tissue in a few months. Whalebones can support abundant communities for years to decades, either as hard substrates (or surfaces) for invertebrates to settle on or as sources of sulfide from the decay of organic compounds in whale bones. Microorganisms depend on the energy released by these chemical reactions to survive and form the basis of ecosystems for a sustained period of time from food sources.

One whale falls, as through blue breeze, gave life to other creatures. This is the whale’s last gentle gift to the sea.

53 Replies to “Whale fall — ecological cycle in the deep ocean”

  1. I wrote an essay before about the ocean animals are in danger of extinction, and indeed, a lot of sea creatures are only seen in photos because of overfishing. Whales are the great embodiment of Marine life, and I’ve read a story before about whales that when they learn that they’re going to die, they swim to another ocean and then they quietly sink to the bottom, feeding tens of thousands of creatures in the process. The whale was created by nature and finally returned to nature.

  2. This was very interesting and I had never heard of a whale fall before. It is interesting how one whale can provide for hundreds of organisms for so many years. This is another reason why whales should not be hunted and should be protected.

  3. This is such fascinating topic that I have never heard of. It’s crazy to think that, even after their life, whales are still such an important part of the ocean’s ecosystem. I always like to learn about the ocean and how animals live and survive because a lot of the ocean is still unexplored so I really liked reading about this topic.

  4. As the whale population became smaller and smaller, I was always wondering what the whale would become after death, or where it would go. Through the pictures, I can imagine the slow sinking of the whale to the bottom of the sea when it died. I learned that whale drops were part of the ecosystem.

  5. This is an unusual topic. The dead whale provides an oasis of life for Marine life, a tender and romantic gift from the whale to the ocean.From a complete body to a huge skeleton, nothing is left.Sometimes death is not the end, but the hope and life.

  6. I also earlier wrote about how marine life is deteriorating slowly. It is a shame that we humans destroy whatever we touch. The reduction in whale falls was inevitable.

  7. I think humans really need to pay attention to how to protect the environment. Because if we destroy the environment animals have no place to live.

  8. This is a genuinely very interesting topic. This is something I have never heard of but in our world makes sense. The ecosystems of earth are generally very efficient and balanced so it makes sense that bodies of whales can help to such a large degree after their death. Its also important to note that human intervention can change the delicate balance of the ecosystem

  9. This is a genuinely very interesting topic. This is something I have never heard of but in our world makes sense. The ecosystems of earth are generally very efficient and balanced so it makes sense that bodies of whales can help to such a large degree after their death. Its also important to note that human intervention can change the delicate balance of the ecosystem.

  10. This was very interesting and something I had never heard of before. It is fascinating how the ecosystem works and how the whales can contribute to the marine life even after months of their deaths. This is something we must keep in mind so that we always strive to keep ecosystems intact so that we do not ruin things like this.

  11. After reading the short articles, I know that the whales contributed a lot to the marine, which provides the sources to continue the ecosystems. However, whales are fewer and fewer nowadays, so we should not eat the wales and protect them, as they are unique mammals in the marine, and it is beneficial to the food chain of the ecosystems.

  12. I believe it is really important for people to pay attention to how they can safeguard the environment. Because if humans continue to ruin the ecosystem, there will be nowhere for 1v1 lol animals to live.

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  17. @Block Blast Whale fall is a wonderful phenomenon of nature, a perfect cycle that helps regenerate life in the ocean. When a whale dies and sinks to the bottom of the sea, it creates a real ‘oasis’ in the cold deep water. From scavengers to bacteria that specialize in decomposing bones, all participate in a sustainable ecological network that lasts for decades, even hundreds of years. The discovery in the East Sea not only opens up opportunities to study the life cycle of this ecosystem but also helps us understand more deeply the role of whales in maintaining the balance of the ocean.

  18. it’s incredible that even whale deaths contribute to such a cycle! It really shows how cleverly nature works. It’s so interesting to learn more about this life cycle in the depths of the oceans.sprunka

  19. It makes sense that whale falls would happen close to others because they die along slope migration routes, but somehow it surprised me. Wonderful episode as always.

  20. Wow, this whale fall discovery is mind-blowing! It’s like nature’s way of recycling, turning death into life for new marine communities. I never really thought about how creatures could thrive on a whale’s remains. It’s just like how some businesses, such as some businesses, such as Syloon, aim to create sustainable products that benefit everyone. Let’s keep celebrating the wonders of our oceans!

  21. The depth of this topic really pulls at the heartstrings, doesn’t it? The whole cycle of life, even in the vast depths of the ocean, is just beautiful. It’s kind of poetic, how something as big as a whale becomes a home for other small creatures. Reminds me of how important it is to choose the right colors in our design, just like we need to uphold the balance in nature, which is something you can explore more with the right colors in our design.

  22. This whole idea of whale falls feels like an adventure waiting to happen! It’s like an epic story of nature that unfolds in the ocean’s depths. Just thinking about how many creatures find life in the aftermath is truly something. Reminds me of how playing games can bring people together in creative ways, kind of like how playing games can bring people together does with its fun approach to Tetris!

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  24. Whale fall is a touching testament to the cycle of life – the death of a whale is not the end, but Retro Bowl the beginning of a new vibrant ecosystem at the bottom of the ocean.

  25. That’s fascinating! Discovering a whale fall in the South China Sea offers an incredible opportunity to study deep-sea ecosystems. It reminds me of the strategic challenges in some io games, where resource management is key to survival. Just like in those io games, the whale fall provides a vital, albeit temporary, ecosystem sustained by a unique resource. I wonder what new species we’ll find thriving around it!

  26. This was such a fascinating read! I had no idea a whale fall could support marine life for decades, nature truly has an incredible way of recycling. It reminded me of a discussion we had on about lesser-known ecological processes and their impact on biodiversity. Posts like this really help broaden our understanding of life beyond the surface.

  27. This is such a fascinating read about whale falls and their role in the deep ocean’s ecosystem. I had no idea they were so rare and considered ‘oases’. The discovery in the South China Sea sounds like a big deal for marine research. Can’t wait to hear more about the observations!

  28. Wow, a whale fall in the South China Sea? That’s like nature’s way of throwing an underwater party! Just imagine all the little ocean critters showing up for the buffet. Speaking of comparisons, you might wanna check this out for some height comparisons of all kinds at Height Comparison.

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