weakherofan OP t1_j6lz9ki wrote on January 31, 2023 at 7:07 AM

Reply to comment by CallFromMargin in eli5: do nutrients from a whale fall remain on the seafloor forever? by weakherofan

Ok but those fish now have the nutrients. I get that. But how do those nutrients then end up back on the surface. Or will all nutrients remain in the deep sea once they end up there?

Chris915NZ t1_j6m1p44 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 7:38 AM

I think the amounts of nutrients are probably trivial against the entire biosphere.

You may find this article interesting if you haven't already come across it.

https://www.npr.org/2019/09/13/760664122/what-happens-after-a-whale-dies

valeyard89 t1_j6maim7 wrote on January 31, 2023 at 9:43 AM

A fish might eat another fish, then get caught by a fishing boat. But negligible. More nutrients are constantly being created at the surface (eg plankton) than any number of whalefalls.

oblivious_fireball t1_j6m2iwk wrote on January 31, 2023 at 7:49 AM

ocean currents or animals that migrate to shallower water at night will redeliver nutrients. over time other nutrients and minerals get reabsorbed with tectonics back into the earth and erupt out of volcanoes