▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁b ones ▁and ▁the ▁ske leton , ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁teeth ▁and ▁its ▁location ▁west ▁of ▁Santa ▁Catal ina . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁wh ale - fall ▁e cos ystem , ▁which ▁included ▁a ▁chem o aut roph ic ▁assemb lage ▁living ▁on ▁the ▁an a er ob ic ▁break down ▁of ▁organ ic ▁material ▁in ▁wh ale ▁b ones , ▁was ▁discovered ▁by ▁a ▁team ▁of ▁scient ists ▁led ▁by ▁University ▁of ▁Hawai i ▁ocean ograph er ▁Craig ▁Smith ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 . ▁The ▁D SV ▁Al vin ▁observed ▁the ▁remains ▁using ▁sc anning ▁son ar ▁at ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁Catal ina ▁Bas in ▁and ▁collected ▁the ▁first ▁phot ographic ▁images ▁and ▁samples ▁of ▁animals ▁and ▁micro bes ▁from ▁this ▁remarkable ▁community . ▁ ▁Many ▁other ▁wh ale ▁falls ▁have ▁since ▁been ▁found ▁by ▁more ▁research ers ▁and ▁deep - se a ▁expl or ers ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁naval ▁sub mar ines . ▁The ▁increase ▁in ▁detection ▁is ▁largely ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁cutting - edge ▁side - scan ▁son ar ▁which ▁can ▁min utely ▁examine ▁the ▁ocean ▁floor ▁for ▁large ▁aggreg ations ▁of ▁matter . ▁ ▁E col ogy ▁▁ ▁Wh ale ▁falls ▁are ▁distributed ▁heter ogene ously ▁throughout ▁space ▁and ▁time , ▁with ▁a ▁concentration ▁along ▁migration ▁routes . ▁There ▁is ▁much ▁fa unal ▁overlap ▁in ▁these ▁wh ale ▁falls ▁across ▁o ce ans . ▁M uss els ▁and ▁ves ic omy id ▁cl ams ▁belong ▁to ▁groups ▁that ▁har bor ▁chem