Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem [Hardcover]

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.

Winner of the AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books • An ALA Notable Children’s Book • A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids

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.Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List • Pennsylvania Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award Nominee • Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices List • National Science Teaching Association Outstanding Science Trade Book • Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year

“Great for researchers—and gentle enough for even the most squeamish audiences—this also makes a great read-aloud.” —Booklist

The exemplary backmatter tells us that scientists have identified over 500 specl£,