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October 17, 2019 01:00 pm PDT

Video: sea critters chow down on the carcass of a young whale

Who doesn't love a free meal?

From Nautilus Live:

During the final dive of this years Nautilus expedition season, our team discovered a whale fall while exploring Davidson Seamount off central Californias coast with researchers from Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The skeletal remains of the whale lying on its back are estimated to be 4-5 meters long. The team is working to identify the species, but it is confirmed to be a baleen whale as indicated by baleen remaining along the whales jawbones. While evidence of whale falls have been observed to remain on the seafloor for several years, this appears to be a relatively recent fall with baleen, blubber, and some internal organs remaining. The site also exhibits an interesting mid-stage of ecological succession, as both large scavengers like eel pouts are still stripping the skeleton of blubber, and bone-eating Osedax worms are starting to consume lipids (fats) from the bones.

There's no getting past how rare a sight this must bejust listen to the excitement in the voices of the scientists who came across this whale fall for the first time. Read the rest


Original Link: http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/kLjMCr0J9jo/video-sea-critters-chow-down.html

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