Scientists have uncovered diverse marine life communities that thrive on ancient whale graveyards deep in the ocean. These graveyards are formed when whale carcasses settle on the sea floor, providing nourishment for various marine creatures. The recently discovered site in the southeastern Indian Ocean lies as deep as 23,000 feet (7 kilometers) below the surface and is the oldest and most extensive such site found to date.
The immense size of whale carcasses and the chemical composition of their bones create unique habitats underwater, explained Xikun Song, a biologist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering. Song noted the challenge in locating these deep-sea sites due to their remote nature.
In 2023, researchers conducted multiple submersible trips to explore the remains, gathering samples and mapping the necropolis. They identified five carcass sites and fossils, including skulls from beaked and baleen whales, with the oldest bones dating back 5.3 million years.
The whale remains provide a thriving environment for various marine species, including sea cucumbers, squat lobsters, and saltwater clams. Many of these species are potentially undocumented, as reported in the journal Nature.
Paleontologist Stephen Godfrey, from the Calvert Marine Museum, expressed intrigue at the number of specimens potentially present. Several factors have preserved the whale bones for millions of years, including their density, which outlasts bone-eating worms, and the ocean depth, which protects them from being buried by dust. Minerals coating the bones may have also slowed their degradation.
Why so many whales died in this area remains uncertain. Some could have died naturally or due to illness or exhaustion from deep-sea diving. The area’s V-shape could have helped deposit the remains in this region, as suggested by the study authors.
These findings reveal much about marine ecosystems that thrive in challenging environments. Researching these graveyards helps scientists understand life in low-light, low-oxygen conditions amidst extreme pressures, noted study co-author and paleontologist Giovanni Bianucci from the University of Pisa.
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