International Journal of Molecular Ecology and Conservation, 2025, Vol.15, No.4, 163-174 http://ecoevopublisher.com/index.php/ijmec 1 69 biological communities. During the feeding process of large animals attracted by whale falls (such as sleeping sharks and crustaceans), some food residues or metabolic products scatter around and are utilized by other benthic organisms, thereby transmitting energy to a wider area. Some animals on the whale landing will spread outward at different stages. For example, in the later stage of the meat accumulation phase, many scavengers disperse after the whale meat is eaten up and may continue to wander in the adjacent sea area in search of other food, indirectly transporting the energy of the whale fall away (Zhou et al., 2020). In the long term, a large amount of whale bone remains are deposited on the seabed, which also has a certain impact on the characteristics of the deep-sea bottom. 5.3 Similarities and differences between whale falls and cold seep and hydrothermal vent ecosystems Whale fall ecosystems share interesting similarities with deep-sea cold seep and hydrothermal vents and other chemical energy ecosystems, but also show unique differences. In terms of similarity: These three types of ecosystems all rely on chemical energy as the energy source for some biological communities. In terms of ecological functions, all three can be regarded as "nutrient islands" in the deep sea, attracting the aggregation of surrounding organisms and having the effect of enhancing local diversity (Li et al., 2022). These systems all contribute to the diffusion of deep-sea populations. Scientists have proposed the "stepping stone" hypothesis, suggesting that whale falls may connect cold seep and hot fluid, providing a relay station for chemoenergy-dependent habitats (Silva et al., 2021). In terms of differences: The sources of energy are essentially different. The energy of hydrothermal vents and cold seeps comes from geological activities (mantle hydrothermal, oil and gas leakage), which is relatively stable and can last for hundreds or even thousands of years, while the energy of whale falls comes from organic reserves and is a one-time supply, usually exhausted within several decades (Xie et al., 2023). Whale fall begins with a large input of organic matter and undergoes a distinct heterotrophic decomposition stage in the early stage, which is not present in cold seeps and hydrothermal fluids. There are also differences in species composition. Although there are some shared groups, each also has highly specialized species. From the perspective of spatial distribution, hydrothermal and cold springs are mostly fixed in specific geological zones, while whale falls are randomly scattered in the ocean. Whale falls may occur in all ocean basins, but their distribution is scattered and difficult to predict (Yin et al., 2023). 6 Regional and Species-Specific Case Studies 6.1 Research on whale fall communities in the north pacific The North Pacific (especially along the coast of California) is one of the earliest and most in-depth regions for whale fall research. Here, a considerable number of natural whale falls have been discovered, and the succession process of their communities has been detailedly recorded through multiple deep-sea expeditions (Yin et al., 2023). Research shows that the whale fall communities in the North Pacific are extremely rich and diverse, giving birth to numerous novel species. For instance, a total of 18 different species of Osedax bone-eating worms were recorded on a series of whale falls in Monterey Bay, California, making it the area with the most known Osedax species at present (Eilertsen et al., 2020). In addition, artificial simulation experiments have also been carried out in the study of whale falls in the North Pacific. Smith and other scholars conducted whale bone simulation experiments in the Santa Catalina Basin and found that the succession path was basically the same as that of natural whale falls, only the time was compressed. Through these experiments, they estimated the time scales and community succession rates of different stages of whale falls, establishing a quantitative basis for whale fall ecology (Xie et al., 2023). 6.2 Comparative analysis of the north atlantic and the southern ocean The North Atlantic and the Southern Ocean (Antarctic Sea) are two other regions with whale fall records. Studies have shown that their community characteristics differ from those of the North Pacific (Bolstad et al., 2023). North Atlantic: In 2016, one of the world's deepest natural whale falls was discovered at a depth of approximately 4,200 meters in the Southwest Atlantic. The research team described the community composition of the whale fall and discovered 41 species, most of which were new scientific species (Shimabukuro et al., 2022). Southern Ocean: Research on whale falls in the Antarctic waters is quite limited, but some discoveries have already been made.
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