The ocean is divided into shallow sea and deep sea, and the ocean with a depth of more than 200 meters is called deep sea. Because sunlight can't penetrate the water depth of 200 meters, it is dark all the year round, with low water temperature and low water pressure.
On earth, most of the energy comes from sunlight. Plants convert solar energy into starch, sugar and so on through photosynthesis, while animals directly or indirectly feed on plants to obtain energy. The same is true of marine life. Marine phytoplankton can generate energy through photosynthesis for the survival of marine animals.
In the deep sea below 200 meters, because there is no sunshine all the year round, we can only rely on the organic matter above the ocean to settle down, so there is less organic matter here than in the shallow sea, so the number of organisms we can support is limited. The death of whales can provide a lot of energy for deep-sea creatures.
After whales die, the rotten smell will attract them to eat rotten sharks or other big fish. Whales have thick skin and must have sharp teeth to bite their skin.
If a dead whale has not been bitten by other creatures for a long time, the microbes in the whale intestine will decompose the whale from the inside out, and in the process of decomposition, a large amount of gas will be formed, which will make the whale's skin burst. If the internal pressure is too high, the whale's body will explode by itself. This phenomenon is called "whale explosion".
Generally, sharks stranded and dead are prone to whale explosion, which will lead to whale internal organs being splashed far away by a large number of microorganisms, so whale explosion is also called "the biggest biochemical weapon in nature".
After the scavengers continue to feed, the whale's oil and muscle will decrease, which will increase the density of the whale and slowly sink to the bottom of the sea.
After sinking to the bottom of the sea, the creatures on the bottom of the sea can feed on the remains of whales. According to researchers from the Second Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources, a 40-ton whale sank into the deep sea, which is equivalent to the natural deposition of organic matter in the same sea area for at least 2000 years.
In the deep sea, not only whale meat can be used as food, but also bones can be eaten by polychaetes and crustaceans. Moreover, they can also use whales to land as a shelter from natural enemies; Anaerobic bacteria can slowly decompose in whale remains and release sulfide; Some bacteria can convert these sulfides into organic matter and feed local ecological groups.
It is understood that in the deep sea of the North Pacific, at least 10000 species depend on whales for survival, and the ecosystem provided by whales can last for decades or even hundreds of years.
Therefore, whale fall, submarine hot spring mouth and submarine cold spring mouth are called "three life oases under the sea" by scientists.
Due to the vast ocean area and harsh seabed environment, the number of whales observed in the world so far is less than 50. Although there are more whales hiding in the deep sea, the number of whales is still declining.
First of all, because the survival of whales is influenced by human beings, whales rely on fish in the ocean for food. In recent years, humans have captured a large number of marine life, which has affected the food of whales, thus inhibiting the development of the population.
It is understood that in the past, when whales flourished, there was a "whale landing" almost every few tens of kilometers, but now the number of whales landing is decreasing, which also affects the survival of marine life, especially some species that rely heavily on whales to land for survival.
Although whales are listed as protected animals in many countries and regions in the world, the protection of whales is still difficult. First of all, because they will swim around in the ocean, it is impossible for humans to establish a protected area for them.
Secondly, they have a great demand for food. A blue whale can swallow thousands of kilograms of krill in one bite, and we simply can't provide them with so much food. In addition, humans are aiming at krill and preparing to develop hundreds of millions of tons of krill resources in Antarctica, which in turn will lead to a decline in the number of whales.
Secondly, the reproductive cycle of whales is long, and the birth rate is slow, and the number of each fetus is small, which also makes it difficult to restore the original number once the number of this species declines. We need to invest more resources to protect whales.
When we look at death from a higher angle, we will find that death is sometimes more romantic. The energy of whales comes from the ocean and returns to the ocean after death. It is based on this energy cycle that life on earth can last for billions of years and never end.