Whales Transport Vital Nutrients Across Oceans, Boosting Coastal Ecosystems
New research reveals that migrating whales carry thousands of tons of nitrogen and biomass from nutrient-rich feeding grounds to tropical breeding areas, supporting marine life and coral reefs.
- A study published in *Nature Communications* shows that great whales transport approximately 4,000 tons of nitrogen annually to nutrient-depleted tropical and subtropical coastal waters through urine, skin, carcasses, and other biological materials.
- This nutrient transfer, dubbed the 'great whale conveyor belt,' supports plankton growth and sustains coral reef ecosystems, which are often nitrogen-poor.
- Whales feed in high-latitude areas like Alaska and Antarctica, storing energy before migrating thousands of miles to tropical breeding grounds where they release nutrients into the water.
- Before industrial whaling, the magnitude of these nutrient transfers may have been three times larger, highlighting the ecological impact of historical whale population declines.
- Researchers suggest that restoring whale populations could significantly enhance ocean health by revitalizing the planet's 'circulatory system' of nutrient distribution.
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