When we talk about the deep sea, many people's first reaction may be darkness, cold, and silence. However, in this seemingly barren sea, there is a mysterious ecosystem hidden - whale fall. Today, we're going to talk about the whale fall phenomenon known as the "marine grassland", and the science behind it.
First, let's understand what a whale fall is. Whale fall refers to the ecosystem formed by the death of whales falling into the deep sea, and is called the "oasis" of deep-sea life along with hydrothermal and cold vents. The carcass of a whale can feed the entire life system for up to a hundred years, and this is the last tenderness it leaves to the sea. On April 2, 2020, Chinese scientists discovered a whale fall about 3 meters long for the first time in the South China Sea, which is the first time that Chinese scientists have discovered this type of ecosystem, which is of great significance for China's deep-sea scientific research.
When a whale falls, all things are born. Countless marine animals surround a whale and feast on it. Biologists gave it a poetic name – "Whale Fall." "The death of a whale can directly open up a complete ecosystem that lasts for a hundred years in the deep sea. At least 43 species and 12,490 organisms depend on whale falls for their survival, and biologists have discovered 16 new species in the places where whales fall. This is "a whale falls, all things are born." ”
So, how do whale falls sustain deep-sea life and ecology?The different stages of decomposition of whale carcasses support the succession of biomes ranging from large sharks to microscopic bacteria. At present, there are less than 50 modern natural whale falls found in the world, and these whale falls can be divided into three periods according to their degradation status and community structure: mobile scavenger stage, opportunist stage, and chemoautotrophic stage.
The first stage is known as the mobile scavenger stage, where scavengers such as sharks and crabs remove the whale's soft tissues. This stage is characterized by a large number of scavengers congregating around the whale fall, which rapidly consumes the soft tissue of the whale carcass to provide space for the next stage of the biome.
The second stage is the opportunist stage, in which other heterotrophs (such as snails and worms) use the leftover food provided by the larger scavengers, which settle in the sediment around the whale fall and remove any residue from or within the whalebone. This stage is characterized by an increase in biodiversity, with organisms of all shapes and habits beginning to establish their territory around the whale fall.
The third stage is the chemoautotrophic stage, where hydrogen sulfide is produced when whalebones decay, and some bacteria can obtain energy directly from sulfur, while larger organisms rely on sulfur-reducing bacteria that live in their bodies (known as bacterial symbiosis). This stage is characterized by the gradual stabilization of the biological community, forming a relatively independent ecosystem.
In conclusion, whale falls, as a unique deep-sea ecosystem, are of great significance for maintaining the balance and continuation of deep-sea life. At the same time, whale landfall is also of great value in scientific research and biological resource development. As humanity's understanding of the deep sea continues to deepen, we believe that we will discover more mysteries and surprises about whale falls. Let's look forward to it together!