Deep-sea expedition discovers largest and oldest collection of whale skeletons off Australia
By
Erik Stokstad
Summary
In 2023, researchers aboard a deep-sea submersible off the coast of western Australia discovered an unprecedented collection of whale skeletons on the ocean floor. The site, located 2,400 meters deeper than any previously described whale fall, contains the biggest, deepest, and oldest collection of whale carcasses ever found. The unusual graveyard stretches 1,200 kilometers and includes fossils older than 5 million years. The findings were reported in Nature.
Source
bskyDeep-sea expedition discovers largest and oldest collection of whale skeletons off Australiascience.orgKey quotes
· 3 pulledIn 2023, researchers in a deep-sea submersible west of Australia came across several whale skeletons 2400 meters deeper than had ever been described.
As the expedition continued, the scientists found an unprecedented abundance of skeletons—the biggest, deepest, and oldest collection ever seen on the sea floor, they report today in Nature.
Stretching 1200 kilometers, the unusual collection of carcasses includes fossils older than 5 million years
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