▁create ▁complex ▁local ized ▁e cos ystem s ▁that ▁supply ▁su sten ance ▁to ▁deep - se a ▁organ isms ▁for ▁dec ades . ▁This ▁is ▁unlike ▁in ▁shall ower ▁waters , ▁where ▁a ▁wh ale ▁car c ass ▁will ▁be ▁consum ed ▁by ▁sc av engers ▁over ▁a ▁relatively ▁short ▁period ▁of ▁time . ▁Wh ale ▁falls ▁were ▁first ▁observed ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁with ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁deep - se a ▁robot ic ▁expl oration . ▁Since ▁then , ▁several ▁natural ▁and ▁experimental ▁wh ale ▁falls ▁have ▁been ▁monitor ed ▁ ▁through ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁observations ▁from ▁subm ers ibles ▁and ▁rem ot ely ▁operated ▁under water ▁vehicles ▁( RO V s ) ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁understand ▁patterns ▁of ▁e colog ical ▁succession ▁on ▁the ▁deep ▁se af loor . ▁ ▁Deep ▁sea ▁wh ale ▁falls ▁are ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁hot sp ots ▁of ▁adapt ive ▁radiation ▁for ▁special ized ▁fa una . ▁Organ isms ▁that ▁have ▁been ▁observed ▁at ▁deep - se a ▁wh ale ▁fall ▁sites ▁include ▁giant ▁is op ods , ▁squ at ▁lo bst ers , ▁br ist le w orm s , ▁pra wn s , ▁sh rim p , ▁lo bst ers , ▁h ag fish , ▁Os ed ax , ▁c rab s , ▁sea ▁c uc um bers , ▁and ▁sle eper ▁sh arks . ▁In ▁the ▁past ▁three ▁years ▁wh ale ▁fall ▁sites ▁have ▁come ▁under ▁scr ut iny , ▁and ▁new ▁species ▁have ▁been ▁discovered ,