Hey everybody, Emily Kwong here.

With an episode that's one of our absolute favorites

from last year, it's set at the bottom of the ocean floor

and stars the creatures of the deep sea.

We figured in a week that's got a lot going on,

some science joy is just what the doctor ordered.

So enjoy the show.

You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.

Maddie Sifaya here with Shortwave reporter Emily Kwong.

Hi there.

What kind of science gems have you unearthed for us to date, Kwong?

Have you ever wondered what happens after a whale dies?

Yeah, of course, I wonder it all the time.

And the internet tells me that they wash up on the shore.

Some do, okay.

But most actually fall, sometimes all the way to the bottom

of the ocean floor, whale falls, as they're called,

are entire ecosystems onto themselves, cool?

Right? Scientists often stumble across them

while exploring the deep sea,

sometimes with a submersible other times

with a remotely operated vehicle they control from the surface.

...