Whale falls–the ecosystems that
coalesce around cetacean carcasses when they sink to the seafloor-can provide nutrients to ocean life for decades.

Science journalist Sarah
DeWeerdt explains

‘They are among the most biodiverse habitats in the deep sea. Nearly 500 species have been found on whale falls, and at least 100 of them are thought to be whale-fall specialists, meaning they have only ever been seen, or seen in significant numbers, on the sunken carcasses of whales.’
DeWeerdt continues:
‘The way nutrients are packaged in the bodies of great whales is also unique. Their enormous bones are full of oil, an adaptation that, in life, aids buoyancy and helps the animals withstand the pressure of deep dives. The bones of an adult whale may contain between 2.2 and 15.4 tons of lipids locked up inside the bone matrix, a resource that is hard to access and can take decades to work through–thus making whale falls not only a food source for other species but also a place for them to live.’

Nautilus Magazine.