When a whale dies, its body often falls
to the seafloor. The whale's body then becomes food and shelter for organisms in the deep sea. This is called a whale fall. A deep-sea whale
fall might support 200 different species for as long as 10 years! Larger species, such as Atlantic hagfish, are the first to arrive to feed
on the whale flesh. Later, smaller species of snails and crustaceans come to eat the remaining flesh. Worms burrow into the sand beneath
the whale body, and bacteria feed on the whale bones.



At a deep-sea whale fall, the Atlantic hagfish, the crustaceans, and the sand make up which
of the following? Select all that apply.
A. a population
B. part of a community
C. part of an ecosystem