▁filled ▁with ▁air . ▁When ▁the ▁l ungs ▁def late , ▁the ▁wh ale ▁car c ass es ▁can ▁reach ▁the ▁se af loor ▁quickly ▁and ▁relatively ▁int act ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁significant ▁wh ale ▁fall ▁sc av engers ▁in ▁the ▁water ▁column . ▁Once ▁in ▁the ▁deep - se a , ▁cold ▁temper atures ▁slow ▁decomposition ▁rates , ▁and ▁high ▁hydro static ▁press ures ▁increase ▁gas ▁sol ub ility , ▁allowing ▁wh ale ▁falls ▁to ▁remain ▁int act ▁and ▁sink ▁to ▁even ▁greater ▁depth s . ▁ ▁Cont ribution ▁to ▁the ▁bi ological ▁p ump ▁ ▁The ▁amount ▁of ▁carbon ▁tied ▁up ▁in ▁a ▁typical ▁single ▁wh ale ▁car c ass ▁( about ▁two ▁metric ▁tons ▁of ▁carbon ▁for ▁a ▁typical ▁forty - ton ▁car c ass ) ▁is ▁roughly ▁equivalent ▁to ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁carbon ▁export ed ▁to ▁a ▁hect are ▁of ▁aby ss al ▁ocean ▁floor ▁in ▁ 1 0 0 – 2 0 0 ▁years . ▁This ▁amount ▁of ▁organ ic ▁material ▁reaching ▁the ▁se af loor ▁at ▁one ▁time ▁creates ▁a ▁pul se ▁equivalent ▁to ▁about ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁years ▁of ▁background ▁carbon ▁flux ▁in ▁the ▁ 5 0 ▁square ▁meters ▁of ▁sed iment ▁immediately ▁beneath ▁the ▁wh ale ▁fall . ▁This ▁helps ▁to ▁sust ain ▁the ▁community ▁structure ▁that ▁develop s ▁around ▁a ▁wh ale ▁fall , ▁but ▁it ▁also ▁has ▁potential ▁imp lications ▁for ▁the ▁bi ological ▁p ump , ▁or ▁the ▁flux ▁of ▁organ ic ▁material ▁from ▁the ▁surface ▁ocean ▁to