Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem

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Synopsis
This fascinating nonfiction picture book filled with stunning illustrations details the end of life for a whale, also known as a whale fall, when its body sinks to the ocean floor and becomes an energy-rich food source for organisms living in the deep sea.

When a whale dies, its massive body silently sinks down, down, through the inky darkness, finally coming to rest on the silty seafloor. For the whale, it's the end of a 70-year-long life. But for a little-known community of deep-sea dwellers, it's a new beginning. First come the hungry hagfish, which can smell the whale from miles around. Then the sleeper sharks begin their prowl, feasting on skin and blubber. After about six months, the meat is gone. Year after year, decade after decade, the whale nourishes all kinds of organisms from zombie worms to squat lobsters to deep-sea microbes.

This completely fascinating real-life phenomenon is brought to vivid and poetic life by nonfiction master Melissa Stewart and acclaimed illustrator Rob Dunlavey.

Copyright:
2023

Book Details

Book Quality:
Publisher Quality
Book Size:
40 Pages
ISBN-13:
9780593380628
Related ISBNs:
9780593380604
Publisher:
Random House Children's Books
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Melissa Stewart
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Children's Books, Nonfiction, Animals, Outdoors and Nature, Earth Sciences
Grade Levels:
Kindergarten, First grade, Second grade, Third grade, Pre-Kindergarten
Reading Age:
4–8
Submitted By:
Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

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