SAN DIEGO (KNX 1070) — A dead whale that washed ashore a Southland beach a week ago may help scientists uncover new information about the ocean’s ecosystem.

KNX 1070’s Kim Marriner reports that the 67-foot pregnant fin whale was found dead near San Diego Bay last Saturday.

A necropsy revealed the whale had been hit by hit by a ship.

The huge carcass was towed several miles west of La Jolla.

Crews used about 14,000 pounds of steel to submerge the whale in 800 feet of water.

Scientists from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography will now be able to study the whale as it decomposes in an attempt to learn how new ecosystems form around it.

This study could last several years.

It’s estimated that there are around 2,500 “fin” whales off the California and Oregon coasts.