Largest Whale Graveyard Discovered in Indian Ocean

Chinese scientists have discovered the world's largest, deepest, and oldest whale graveyard at the bottom of the Indian Ocean>>>. The discovery, made by researchers from the China — Chinese Academy of Sciences>>> using the Striver (bathyscaphe)>>> submersible, revealed nearly 500 skeletons, some dating back 5.3 million years, along a 1,200-kilometer corridor. This vast necropolis supports diverse deep-sea life, including many new species, and is estimated to contain over 10 million carcasses, sequestering roughly 6.7 million tonnes of carbon. Lead study author Xiaotong Peng>>> expressed astonishment at the scale of the find, which was published in Nature (journal). The researchers theorize the area is a popular foraging ground with a V-shaped trench that funnels carcasses to the seafloor. Oceanographers like Craig Smith>>> and Amy Baco-Taylor>>> lauded the 'extremely exciting' and 'remarkable discovery' for its importance to understanding whale evolution and deep-sea ecosystems.