1. Whale Fall Aimee Childress

2.  Whale Fall- Term used for a whale carcass that sinks to the ocean floor.  1987, oceanographer Craig Smith discovered the first whale fall in California.  Carcass can remain as an energy source on the sea floor for decades.  Whale Falls pass through three decomposition stages.

3. Mobile Scavenger  Consumption can take several months up to a two-year period.  They can consume the flesh at a rate of 40–60 kilograms (88–130 lb) per day.  Scavengers such as Hagfish and Sleeper sharks consume the flesh of the whale.

4. Enrichment Opportunists  During this period species of clams, worms, and other vertebrates can be found on the bones.  May last up to two years.  Bits of whale tissue spread around the carcass provides nutrition for the worms and crustaceans.

5. Sulfophilic  Bacteria anaerobically break down the lipids embedded in the bones.  Longest stage that may take up to ten years.  Called the sulfophilic stage because of the abundance of species thriving off the sulfide produced by whale bones.  Scientists now estimate that a whale-fall community can survive for up to a century by sucking the fats and sulphides from the bones.

6. Questions?