Whale fall refers to the phenomenon that occurs  when a dead whale sinks to the ocean floor,  

鯨落是指死鯨沉入海底時發生的現象，

creating a complex and nutrient-rich ecosystem  

形成一個複雜且營養豐富的生態系統

that can sustain a variety of  deep-sea organisms for decades.

，可以維持多種深海生物數十年。

As the whale carcass descends, it goes through  several stages of decomposition. Initially,  

當鯨魚屍體下降時，它會經歷幾個分解階段。最初，

scavengers like sharks and hagfish  consume the soft tissues. Then,  

鯊魚和盲鰻等食腐動物會吃掉軟組織。然後，

organisms specializing in bone degradation  take over, extracting nutrients from the bones.

專門負責骨骼降解的生物體接管，從骨骼中提取營養。

Simultaneously, the organic matter from  the whale enriches the sediment around it,  

同時，鯨魚的有機物豐富了周圍的沉積物，

allowing bacteria and other  microorganisms to flourish.

使細菌和其他微生物得以繁殖。

These, in turn, attract bottom-dwelling  organisms like crabs and sea stars.  

這些反過來又吸引了螃蟹和海星等海底生物。

Sulfur-reducing bacteria also colonize the bones,  

硫還原細菌也會在骨骼中定居，

providing a basis for chemosynthetic  life forms, much like hydrothermal vents.

為化學合成生命形式提供基礎，就像熱液噴口一樣。

A single whale fall can thus become  a thriving, multi-tiered ecosystem,  

因此，一處鯨魚墜落可以成為一個欣欣向榮的多層次生態系統，為

offering a rare oasis of abundance  in the nutrient-poor deep sea.

營養貧乏的深海提供了一片罕見的豐富綠洲。