A fascinating experiment conducted by researchers from the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) in 2019 shed light on the mysterious world of deep-sea scavengers in the Gulf of Mexico. The team dropped three dead alligators at a depth of 6,560 feet to observe the reactions of deep-dwelling creatures to this unusual food source.
Contrary to expectations, the tough hide of the alligators did not deter scavengers. Within a day, large isopods were seen feasting on the first carcass, eventually penetrating its hide to access the flesh. The second alligator, dropped 100km away, was almost entirely consumed in just 51 days, revealing a new species of bone-eating worm previously unseen in the region.
