The Ecology Hour: Whalefall with Dr. Craig Smith

July 13, 2021--Bob Spies and Tim Bray talk with Dr. Craig Smith of the University of Hawaii, who has been studying the phenomenon of "whalefall" - when a whale carcass sinks to the bottom of the deep blue sea. Whales are the largest animals on Earth. What happens when one dies? In the cold, dark regions of the deep sea floor, a whale carcass is a bonanza of nutrition and energy, supporting a complex and surprisingly long-lived ecosystem.