Whales play an essential role in ocean health thanks to their waste. A recent study confirmed that these marine giants transport tons of nutrients in the oceans thousands of kilometers away through their urine, significantly contributing to the marine ecosystem.
This theory is not new, as in 2010, a study demonstrated that whales, by feeding in deep waters and defecating at the surface, provide vital resources for plankton growth and marine productivity. However, the new research, published in Nature Communications, reveals that their impact is even greater than previously thought.
The study points out that whales not only contribute with their feces, but also through their urine, the skin they shed, the carcasses left in the ocean, the feces of the calves, and the placentas. These waste materials enrich the water with nitrogen and other essential nutrients for phytoplankton growth, the basis of the marine food chain.
According to researchers, species like right, gray, and humpback whales transport around 4,000 tons of nitrogen annually to tropical and subtropical coastal areas, in addition to providing more than 45,000 tons of biomass. Before indiscriminate hunting drastically reduced their populations, these numbers could have been three times higher.
Humpback whales transport large amounts of nutrients in the oceans.
The ‘great whale conveyor belt’
Every year, thousands of humpback whales migrate from their feeding grounds in the Gulf of Alaska to their breeding areas in Hawaii. In this process, they provide large amounts of nutrients, doubling the natural transport of ocean currents in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
Scientists have dubbed this phenomenon the ‘great whale conveyor belt’. Whales feed in vast oceanic regions, but when it comes to reproduction, they seek more confined spaces where their calves can develop without the risk of predators like orcas.
An amazing and crucial journey
During the summer, whales fatten up by feeding on krill and herring in cold waters such as those of Alaska, Iceland, and Antarctica. This process allows them to accumulate enough energy for their long migration to tropical breeding areas, where they can travel over 8,000 kilometers without feeding.
For example, gray whales travel up to 11,200 kilometers between Russia and Baja California, while southern hemisphere humpbacks migrate from Antarctica to the coasts of Costa Rica, burning up to 90 kilograms of fat per day and releasing large amounts of nitrogen in the form of urine.
This study reaffirms that whales have a significant global impact. In this sense, oceanographer and study co-author Andrew Pershing stated that whales are truly agents of planetary change, thanks to their role as natural fertilizers, becoming key players in ocean balance and marine biodiversity.
humpback whale
Whales: climate change mitigators
According to the Whale Conservation Institution, these mammals have the ability to mitigate the negative impact of climate change through the huge amount of iron released in their feces, aiding the flourishing of phytoplankton, a group of organisms that float in the water, perform photosynthesis, capture thousands of tons of carbon annually, and are the basis of the food chain for many animals, making them crucial for life on the planet.
Such is the importance and contribution of whales to the ocean and the fight against global warming, that the International Whaling Commission (IWC) approved a resolution in 2016 recognizing the contributions of these cetaceans, including their role as marine ecosystem fertilizers and promoters of more abundant fish populations.
These arguments led the organization to end whale hunting and increase protection measures against the threats facing these mammals in the oceans.
Source: EFEverde.
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