Whale Falls: Succession in a Marine Ecosystem

The largest animal to have ever lived on earth is _____

How far do Humpback Whales migrate?

• 2000 km

• 10000 km

• 500 km

• 8000 km

What is a whale fall?

• A whale breaching the surface

• A whale dying and sinking to the seafloor

• A whale diving deep

• A whale giving birth

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Approximately how many kilograms of lipids can a 40-ton whale carcass have in its skeleton?

• 1000 - 2000 kg

• 500 - 1000 kg

• 3000 - 4000 kg

• 2000 - 3000 kg

What tools do scientists use to observe whale fall sites?

• Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs)

• Satellites

• Submarines

• Diving suits

Which group of organisms arrives early and remains throughout the decomposition of the whale carcass?

• Bone specialists

• Background specialists

• Species with unclear connections

• Primary producers

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

What do bone specialists primarily feed on?

• Other scavengers

• Oil in whale bones

• Soft tissue

• Plankton

What is the dominant species of marine worms at many whale fall sites off the California coast?

• Arenicola

• Lumbricus

• Osedax

• Nereis

What is the process called when species progressively replace one another until they reach a stable community?

• Succession

• Migration

• Evolution

• Adaptation

What is the stable community in the context of whale falls?

• Coral reef

• Benthic ecosystem

• Pelagic ecosystem

• Estuarine ecosystem