Whale Falls: 1000 Years of Edible Snow

The largest living species on the planet, the Antarctic Blue Whale, can grow up to 110 feet and weigh 330,000 pounds. They eat 7,936 pounds of krill a day, have a heart the size of a small car, and a call louder than a jet engine. But what happens when magnificently gigantic whales like these die?

These creatures’ natural deaths have eluded scientists until 1988 when researchers discovered the answer: A hotspot for blossoming species, growing ecosystems, and the recycling of nutrients in the environment: whale falls.

What Happens When Whales Die?

Despite having life spans ranging from 30 to 200 years depending on the species, whales die often enough to be concerning for scientists and researchers. After all, what is one to do with such a large carcass? 

While explored a multitude of times in human history, this question was most lovingly handled in Florence, Oregon, 1970. When a 45-foot, 8-ton sperm whale carcass washed up on the shore of Florence, leaving the coast guard to dispose of it. Obviously, they went with the most reasonable solution of blowing it up with half a ton of dynamite.

While the whale was gone after they detonated the dynamite, they were left with a beach full of rotting flesh, a horrid smell, and a car with its roof smashed in by a three-foot piece of whale. Today, people have resorted to dumping whale carcasses into landfills instead. Unfortunately, this is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and a costly endeavor for both the environment and the pockets of those impacted. Yet, in the open ocean, separated from humans, mother nature’s much more eco-friendly solution takes place.

What is a Whale Fall?

When a whale dies of natural causes, it will eventually sink down into the depths of the ocean, more than 3,300 feet down.

Whale falls are generally found in the deep sea, where the water is colder, about 35 degrees Fahrenheit, and the pressure is enough to crush human bone and flatten cars. Because of this pressure and cold, the bodies of whales don’t fully decompose for up to 100 years. With the help of hundreds of organisms big and small, the bodies of whales provide valuable nutrients for sediment, bacteria, and animal colonies that form in and around these whales.

Marine Snow vs Whales

Marine snow is the main food source for deep-sea aquatic creatures. Though, of course, it is not actual ‘snow’. Rather, marine snow contains the decomposing remains of animals, plants, feces, and other organic matter.

Animals in the deep sea feed almost exclusively on this matter. In fact, some animals will scavenge for it on the seabed, preferring it over other food sources. Yet, compartitively, whale falls contribute significantly more to deep sea ecosystems; A whale fall is not the nutrient equivalent of one year’s worth of marine snow, not ten years’, but several thousand years’. This is due to whale falls’ useful flesh, blubber, and bones that can feed local animals and decompose into nutrient-rich sediment that contributes to blossoming marine ecosystems. 

The Process of Decomposition

In the first stage, as it sounds, deep-sea scavengers that discover the whale carcass will begin to feed on the soft tissue, flesh, and other easily eaten organic material. All types of carnivorous animals, from hagfish to sharks, feed off whales at this stage, bringing animals from far and wide to take a bite. 

Once all of the easily obtainable matter is consumed, and only the bones remain, the second stage, enrichment opportunists, begins. Smaller scavengers such as crustaceans, mollusks, and zombie worms (see evolving species) burrow into the whale bones to consume beneficial bone marrow. Not only do they assist in cleaning the bones, but they release hydrogen sulfide which propels the whale into the sulfophilic stage. 

This third stage consists of thousands of specialized sulfur-oxidizing microscopic bacteria that break down the bones’ fatty acids in a process called chemosynthesis. As a result, sulfur is released into the surrounding water which draws more bacteria and other organisms. 

While not extensively studied, scientists believe that whale’s nutrient-depleted bones may be used as protection and homes for filter-feeding animals and plants such as coral, sponges, and barnacles. The increased sulfur in the water, as a result of the sulfophilic stage, attracts more animals and plants to consume and benefit from the excess. 

Evolving Species:

Osedax mucofloris directly translates to bone-eating snot flower. As their name suggests, zombie worms feast on the fatty acids embedded inside bones and look similar to a flower sprouting from snot. First discovered in 2002, zombie worms are most common during the enrichment opportunist phase of whale fall decomposition. To break down the bones, they secrete a bone-dissolving acid from their skin so the symbiotic bacteria on their skin transfers the fats to the zombies. 

As detritivores, vampire squid are often seen around whale falls during the mobile scavengers stage. Lovingly named “Vampire Squid of Hell”, or Vampyroteuthis infernalis, they feed on marine snow and other soft organic matter in the deep sea. To ward off predators, they may take on a bioluminescent glow, their equivalent of squid’s ink, and curl their tentacles into a ‘pineapple’ position to show off their harmless spikes in a scary fashion. 

Most famous for their appearance around whale falls are Hagfish. These long and slippery eel-like detritivores excrete a thick, sticky slime to ward off predators. They can produce almost 400 times their body volume in slime when threatened. The jawless invertebrates enjoy burrowing into their food headfirst and eating from the inside out. But, in times of starvation, they can survive weeks without food by absorbing nutrients from the water through pores in their skin. 

Recycled Nutrients: 

Carbon 

Whales consume a lot of carbon-rich food, rarely exhale carbon dioxide, and have large bodies that allow them to store carbon from the atmosphere for their whole life. In fact, compared to other living carbon-recycling methods, whales are considerably more efficient. The most efficient carbon-capturing tree, live oak trees, capture 12 tons of carbon dioxide over 500 years, while whales can capture 33 tons in their 100 year average lifespans. And, if they become a whale fall, their body’s carbon stores will release back into the sediment, enriching it with carbon necessary for life, eliminating the chance of that carbon returning to the atmosphere, and effectively restarting the carbon cycle. 

Sulfur 

As mentioned prior, the sulfophilic stage of whale falls contributes to the formulation of sulfur and the diversity of the ecosystem in and around the whale fall. Once the bacteria break down the inside of the whale bones, they produce sulfur which attracts more bacteria, provides rich soil, allows coral to grow, and, therefore, attracts more animals to the area as a result, effectively transitioning the whale into its reef stage. Due to this domino-effect, sulfur exchange in decomposition contributes to new, vibrant ecosystems. 

Whale falls are expansive, rich environments which foster diverse and brilliant ecosystems of all kinds. Through the simple decomposition of a whale’s body, new communities and groups of animals can have a chance to thrive in the cold and unforgiving deep sea. By simply existing, these beautiful, colossal animals actively contribute centuries worth of nutrients, food, and protection to growing populations of marine life thousands of feet beneath the sea. 

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