os yn th etic ▁b acter ia , ▁which ▁can ▁draw ▁energy ▁from ▁in organ ic ▁chemical s , ▁such ▁as ▁sul fur . ▁Before ▁their ▁presence ▁was ▁discovered ▁at ▁wh ale ▁falls , ▁the ▁only ▁known ▁habit ats ▁of ▁these ▁groups ▁were ▁sun ken ▁wood ▁and ▁hydro ther mal ▁v ents . ▁Similarly , ▁luc in id ▁cl ams ▁were ▁previously ▁only ▁known ▁to ▁inhab it ▁carbon ▁see ps ▁and ▁an ox ic ▁se af loor ▁sed iments . ▁Os ed ax , ▁a ▁genus ▁of ▁deep - se a ▁pol ych a ete ▁w orm s , ▁act ▁as ▁e cos ystem ▁engine ers ▁by ▁ex cre ting ▁acid ▁to ▁er ode ▁wh ale ▁b ones ▁and ▁absor bing ▁the ▁nut ri ents ▁tra pped ▁within . ▁This ▁enh ances ▁b iod iversity ▁in ▁the ▁deep ▁sea ▁by ▁increasing ▁the ▁water ▁diffusion ▁into ▁the ▁matrix ▁of ▁ ▁b ones ▁and ▁facil it ating ▁colon ization ▁of ▁the ▁b one ▁matrix ▁by ▁r ar er ▁species . ▁Os ed ax ▁have ▁more ▁dram atic ▁effects ▁in ▁ju ven ile ▁ske let ons , ▁which ▁are ▁not ▁as ▁well - calc ified ▁as ▁adult ▁ske let ons . ▁ ▁At ▁wh ale ▁fall ▁sites ▁it ▁is ▁common ▁to ▁see ▁between ▁three ▁and ▁five ▁tro ph ic ▁levels ▁present , ▁with ▁two ▁main ▁nut r itional ▁sources ▁const itut ing ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁food ▁web . ▁Ad ult ▁wh ale ▁car c ass es ▁can ▁house ▁up ▁to ▁five ▁tro ph ic ▁levels