Life Inside a Dead Whale
Summary
TLDRWhale falls, the natural occurrence when a whale dies and sinks to the ocean floor, create a unique ecosystem. Initially, scavengers consume the flesh. Then, invertebrates feed on remaining tissue and sediment. Finally, bacteria colonize bones, producing hydrogen sulfide gas that supports a sulfur-loving community. This process, lasting decades, parallels life found near hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, and is crucial for the deep-sea biodiversity.
Takeaways
- đł **Whale Fall Phenomenon**: When a whale dies in the open ocean and sinks to the ocean floor, it creates a unique ecosystem known as a whale fall.
- đ **Deep Sea Impact**: A whale fall occurs at depths of at least a thousand meters where food is scarce, providing a significant food source for deep-sea creatures.
- đŹ **First Discovery**: The first whale fall was discovered in 1987 by scientists in a deep submergence vehicle, revealing bacteria similar to those found in hydrothermal vents.
- đŠ **Scavenger Stage**: Stage one of a whale fall involves scavengers like sleeper sharks, hagfish, and amphipods consuming the whale's flesh.
- đ **Invertebrate Stage**: Stage two sees invertebrates such as crustaceans, molluscs, and polychaete worms feeding on remaining tissue and sediment.
- đŠ **Bacterial Stage**: In stage three, bacteria colonize the whale bones, consuming lipids and producing hydrogen sulfide gas, which supports a sulfur-loving community.
- đ°ïž **Longevity**: The bacterial stage can last for decades, similar to the ecosystems found around hydrothermal vents and cold seeps.
- đ **Ecosystem Similarities**: Whale falls, hydrothermal vents, and cold seeps are all nutrient-rich environments that support diverse life forms in the otherwise barren deep sea.
- đ **Ongoing Research**: Scientists continue to study whale falls to understand the species involved and their adaptations to extreme conditions.
- đ **Impact of Whaling**: Whaling may have reduced the occurrence of whale falls, affecting deep-sea ecosystems, a subject of ongoing research.
- 𧏠**Adaptations**: Organisms that thrive in whale falls have evolved unique adaptations to survive in the absence of oxygen and sunlight and amidst toxic chemicals.
Q & A
What is a whale fall?
-A whale fall is a phenomenon that occurs when a whale dies in the open ocean and its carcass sinks to the ocean floor, typically at depths of at least a thousand meters.
How does a whale fall impact the deep sea ecosystem?
-A whale fall creates a complex, unique ecosystem by providing a rich food source in an otherwise food-scarce environment, leading to the development of a specialized community of organisms.
When was the first natural whale fall discovered?
-The first natural whale fall was discovered accidentally by a team of scientists in 1987 during an expedition using a deep submergence vehicle.
What types of bacteria were found on whale bones during the first whale fall study?
-The bacteria found on whale bones were similar to those found in hydrothermal vents, and some new species of clams were also discovered.
What are the stages of a whale fall ecosystem?
-The whale fall ecosystem goes through three stages: 1) the flesh-eating stage with scavengers like sleeper sharks and amphipods, 2) the invertebrate stage with crustaceans, molluscs, and worms, and 3) the bacterial stage where bacteria feed on whale bones.
How much tissue can scavengers consume during the first stage of a whale fall?
-Scavengers can consume 40 to 60 kilograms of tissue per day during the first stage of a whale fall.
What unique species were discovered during the study of the first whale fall?
-A species of snail was discovered on the first whale fall in 1987, leading to the identification of a new family of aquatic snails.
How long can the third stage of a whale fall last?
-The third stage of a whale fall, where bacteria colonize the bones, can last for decades, specifically between 50 to 100 years.
How are whale falls similar to hydrothermal vents and cold seeps?
-Whale falls, hydrothermal vents, and cold seeps are similar in that they all provide a rich food source in the otherwise barren seafloor, attracting and supporting various life forms.
What are the challenges in studying whale fall ecosystems?
-Studying whale fall ecosystems is challenging due to their remote and deep-sea locations, which are difficult to access and require specialized equipment.
How are biologists studying the effects of whaling on the seafloor ecosystem?
-Biologists are studying the effects of whaling on seafloor ecosystems by examining artificially-placed whale bones and other sunken biomass like wood and kelp to understand the organisms that colonize these environments.
What adaptations have organisms near whale falls evolved to survive?
-Organisms near whale falls have evolved adaptations to survive without oxygen or sunlight and to tolerate toxic chemicals, such as the hydrogen sulfide produced by bacteria.
Outlines
đł The Wonders of a Whale Fall
This paragraph introduces the phenomenon of a whale fall, which occurs when a whale dies and sinks to the ocean floor, creating a unique ecosystem. Despite the scarcity of food in the deep ocean, a whale carcass provides a rich food source that significantly alters the local environment. The first whale fall was studied in 1987, revealing bacteria similar to those found near hydrothermal vents and new species of clams. The paragraph outlines the stages of a whale fall ecosystem: initial scavenging by creatures like sleeper sharks and amphipods, followed by invertebrates feeding on leftover tissue and sediment, and finally, bacteria colonizing the bones and creating a sulfur-rich environment that supports a diverse community of sulfur-loving species. The comparison is made to hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, highlighting the rarity and importance of such nutrient-rich areas in the otherwise barren deep sea.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄWhale fall
đĄEcosystem
đĄScavengers
đĄInvertebrates
đĄBacteria
đĄHydrogen sulfide
đĄSulfophilic community
đĄHydrothermal vents
đĄCold seeps
đĄAdaptations
đĄWhaling
Highlights
Whale falls create a unique ecosystem even without direct observation.
A whale fall occurs when a whale dies and sinks to the ocean floor, at least a thousand meters down.
The ocean floor is typically food scarce, making whale carcasses a significant food source.
The first natural whale fall was discovered by scientists in 1987 using a deep submergence vehicle.
Bacteria found on whale bones are similar to those found in hydrothermal vents.
New species of clams were discovered as part of the whale fall ecosystem.
Whale fall ecosystems consist of multiple stages, starting with scavengers consuming the flesh.
Sleeper sharks, hagfish, and amphipods are among the first to feed on a whale carcass.
The process of flesh consumption can take several years for a large whale.
Stage two involves invertebrates feeding on leftover tissue and sediment.
Unique species, like a new family of aquatic snails, are found in these ecosystems.
Stage three begins with bacteria colonizing the bones and feeding on lipids.
Hydrogen sulfide gas, toxic to most life, is a key component of the whale fall ecosystem.
Sulfur-loving communities form around the hydrogen sulfide, supporting a variety of species.
This stage can last for decades, similar to hydrothermal vents and cold seeps.
Whale falls, vents, and seeps are rare food sources on an otherwise barren ocean floor.
Studying these environments is challenging due to their depth and remoteness.
Artificial whale bones and sunken biomass are used to study these deep-sea organisms.
The life forms have evolved unique adaptations to survive in extreme conditions.
Whaling may have impacted the seafloor ecosystem by reducing the number of whale falls.
SciShow is a resource for learning about unusual life forms, including those found in whale falls.
Transcripts
If a whale falls in the ocean, and no oneâs around to see it, does it still create a complex,
unique ecosystem?
Turns out, it does.
A whale fall is what happens when a whale dies out in the open ocean and its body sinks
really far -- to at least a thousand meters down.
Deep down in the cold, dark water, there isnât much food around. So when a whale carcass
shows up, all that nutritional goodness totally changes the ecosystem of the ocean floor.
The first natural whale fall ever studied was discovered accidentally by a team of scientists
in 1987, during an expedition in a specially-designed submarine known as a deep submergence vehicle.
The bacteria the team found growing on the whale bones were similar to those youâd
find in places like hydrothermal vents, and they even discovered some new species of clams.
So marine biologists started looking for more whale falls to study, and eventually realized
that these bacteria and clams were part of a whole unique ecosystem.
It all starts with stage one: just after the whale dies, when its body reaches the ocean
floor.
The first scavengers to show up are creatures like sleeper sharks, hagfish, and tiny, shrimp-like
crustaceans called amphipods, which start to strip the flesh down to the bone.
Combined, these animals can eat 40 to 60 kilograms of tissue per day. But even at that rate,
it can take a few years for them to finish off something the size of a whale.
Once theyâve polished most of it off, itâs time for stage two.
A swarm of invertebrates moves in, bringing crustaceans, molluscs, and bristly polychaete
worms -- a type of worm thatâs good at surviving in extreme environments, like the coldest
parts of the ocean
They feed on anything thatâs left over, plus the sediment surrounding the whale, which
is now packed with bits of decomposing tissue.
Some of these animals have never been spotted anywhere else, like a species of snail found
on that first 1987 whale fall that led to the discovery of a whole new family of aquatic
snails.
After about two years, mats of bacteria colonize the whale bones, kickstarting stage three.
These bacteria feed on lipids -- the fats and oils -- from the whale bones, turning
them into hydrogen sulfide gas, which would be very toxic to most forms of life.
But in this case, itâs a key part of the whole ecosystem.
All that hydrogen sulfide creates a sulphophilic, or sulfur-loving, community made up of the
bacteria, the organisms that feed on them, and other scavengers that show up late to
the party.
An average of 185 different sulfur-loving species end up in each whale..
This stage can last for decades -- 50 to 100 years -- and itâs a lot like some of the
other strange things youâll find on the ocean floor like hydrothermal vents and cold
seeps.
These vents are cracks in the ocean floor that spew hot, mineral-rich stuff into the
ocean, and the seeps are briny pools of liquids and gases that include lots of sulfide and
methane, also on the ocean floor.
Since all these places provide so much potential food on the seafloor -- which is otherwise
pretty barren -- life tends to take over.
Itâs kinda hard to study environments so far down, though, so weâre still learning
about the different species found on whale bones, and how theyâre related to those
found at deep sea vents and seeps.
And itâs not totally clear how the organisms that colonize a whale fall get from place
to place, or how they find the carcass at all.
Biologists are also trying to figure out how whaling, which would have lowered the number
of whale falls, might have changed life on the seafloor,.
Theyâre working to answer these questions by studying artificially-placed whale bones
and other kinds of sunken biomass, like wood and kelp, to learn more about the organisms
that move in.
The life forms that colonize these places have had to evolve all kinds of adaptations
to survive without oxygen or sunlight, surrounded by chemicals that would be toxic to anything
else.
So if you want to learn more about some of the strangest examples of life on Earth, a
dead whale is an excellent place to look.
And SciShow is another good place to learn about weird life-forms! So if you want to
keep getting smarter with us, just go to youtube.com/scishow and subscribe.
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