PRESSURISED: 032 - Whale falls with Craig smith

The Deep-Sea Podcast

Our short and to the point PRESSURISED version of episode 32. If you don't have time for the full episode and want to get right to the science without any of our waffle, this is the place to be!

Read the show notes and find the full episode here:

https://www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/032-whale-falls

This month is a fun one (maybe not if you love cetaceans) as we’re covering whale falls! That’s right, dead whales and the ecosystems they create on the seafloor. Professor Craig smith joins us to talk all about the stages of decomposition, the key species that whale falls support, and some truly wild tales from the high seas.

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Read the show notes and find out more about us at:

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Glossary

Blubber - The fat of sea mammals.

Cadaverine - A compound formed in the decay of animal proteins after death.

Cetacean - The scientific name for whales, dolphins and porpoises.

Chemoautotrophic - Obtains energy through chemical reactions rather than light.

Hagfish - Eel-shaped, slime-producing fish.

Hydroxyapatite - A mineral which makes up whale bones.

Osedax - A family of “bone-eating” worms which are found feasting on whale bones.

Putracene - A compound formed in the decay of animal proteins after death.

Purse seine netting - A vertical net ‘curtain’ which can be drawn together to enclose the whale.

Sleeper sharks - Family: Somniosidae. Slow-moving sharks which can be seen feeding on whale falls.

Stoneley waves - a boundary wave (or interface wave) that typically propagates along a solid-solid interface.

Links

Craig’s research group

Craig's article on whale fall ecology (2003)

We released a piece in The Conversation on the Moon Analogy

Credits

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