Our short and to the point PRESSURISED version of episode 32. If you don't have time for the full episode and want to get right to the science without any of our waffle, this is the place to be!
 
Read the show notes and find the full episode here:
https://www.armatusoceanic.com/podcast/032-whale-falls
 
This month is a fun one (maybe not if you love cetaceans) as we’re covering whale falls! That’s right, dead whales and the ecosystems they create on the seafloor. Professor Craig smith joins us to talk all about the stages of decomposition, the key species that whale falls support, and some truly wild tales from the high seas. 
 
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Check out our podcast merch here! Which now includes Alan’s beloved apron and a much anticipated new design... 
 
Feel free to get in touch with us with questions or your own tales from the high seas on:
podcast@armatusoceanic.com
We’d love to actually play your voice so feel free to record a short audio note!
 
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Keep up with the team on social media
Twitter: 
Alan - @Hadalbloke (https://twitter.com/Hadalbloke)
Thom - @ThomLinley (https://twitter.com/ThomLinley) 
Georgia - @geeinthesea (https://twitter.com/geeinthesea) 
 
Instagram: 
Georgia - @geeinthesea (https://www.instagram.com/geeinthesea/) 
 
Read the show notes and find out more about us at:
www.armatusoceanic.com
 
Glossary
Blubber - The fat of sea mammals.
Cadaverine - A compound formed in the decay of animal proteins after death.
Cetacean - The scientific name for whales, dolphins and porpoises.
Chemoautotrophic - Obtains energy through chemical reactions rather than light.
Hagfish - Eel-shaped, slime-producing fish. 
Hydroxyapatite - A mineral which makes up whale bones.
Osedax - A family of “bone-eating” worms which are found feasting on whale bones.
Putracene - A compound formed in the decay of animal proteins after death.
Purse seine netting - A vertical net ‘curtain’ which can be drawn together to enclose the whale.
Sleeper sharks - Family: Somniosidae. Slow-moving sharks which can be seen feeding on whale falls.
Stoneley waves - a boundary wave (or interface wave) that typically propagates along a solid-solid interface.
 
Links
Craig’s research group
Craig's article on whale fall ecology (2003)
We released a piece in The Conversation on the Moon Analogy
 
Credits
Theme – Hadal Zone Express by Märvel