Ever wondered what happens when a whale dies in the ocean? Joanna Bagniewska explains <\/p>

Dead whales sink to the ocean floor, reaching depths of several thousand metres relatively intact. Their lipid- and protein-laden bodies create unique, nutrient-rich ecosystems that may sustain creatures of the abyss for decades.<\/p>\n

The whales\u2019 flesh is picked away by sharks, crabs and hagfish \u2013 the latter can absorb nutrients directly through their skin while they forage inside carcasses.<\/p>\n

Whale skeletons are then covered with colourful, delicate, flower-like creatures \u2013 zombie worms. These underwater relatives of the earthworm don\u2019t have a mouth and guts, but instead secrete acid and enzymes to drill into bones, and feed with the help of symbiotic bacteria.<\/p>\n

The acid borings also double up as shelter holes, and a single whale skeleton can house between half a million and a million adult zombie worms.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, commercial whaling reduces the number of sunken carcasses, and thus removes valuable sources of nutrients, potentially leading to a lower species richness in the depths.<\/p>\n