▁a ▁few ▁ser end ip it ous ▁studies ▁on ▁discovered ▁falls ▁ ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁plant ed ▁car c ass es ▁with ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁deep ▁sea ▁carbon ▁flux ▁studies ▁re lying ▁on ▁sed iment ▁tra ps . ▁ ▁Disc overy ▁▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁indic ation ▁that ▁wh ale ▁car c ass es ▁could ▁host ▁special ized ▁animal ▁communities ▁occurred ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁when ▁a ▁new ▁muss el ▁species ▁was ▁extracted ▁from ▁a ▁piece ▁of ▁floating ▁wh ale ▁bl ub ber . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁deep ▁sea ▁tra w lers ▁un int ention ally ▁recovered ▁other ▁new ▁m oll usc ▁species ▁including ▁lim p ets ▁( named ▁O ste op elta ) ▁attached ▁to ▁wh ale ▁b ones . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁recorded ▁aby ss al ▁wh ale ▁fall ▁was ▁discovered ▁by ▁US ▁Navy ▁bath ys cap he ▁pil ots ▁L T ▁Ken ▁Hans on , ▁Master ▁Chief ▁George ▁Ell is ▁and ▁L T ▁Tom ▁V etter ▁div ing ▁in ▁bath ys cap he ▁Tri este ▁II ▁( D SV - 1 ) ▁on ▁ 1 9 ▁February ▁ 1 9 7 7 . ▁The ▁ske leton ▁of ▁the ▁car c ass , ▁which ▁was ▁completely ▁de void ▁of ▁organ ic ▁t issue , ▁remained ▁int act ▁and ▁col lapsed ▁flat ▁on ▁the ▁se af loor . ▁The ▁subm ers ible ▁recovered ▁a ▁j aw bone ▁and ▁ph al anges . ▁The ▁wh ale ▁was ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁gray ▁wh ale ▁based ▁on