Large cetaceans such as whales, fin whales and humpback whales eat three times more than what has been hypothesized so far, but despite this their presence enriches the marine ecosystem instead of depleting it: this can be seen from cross-measurements carried out for the first time on over 300 specimens with the help of drones, GPS and ultrasound by an international team led by Stanford University. The study, published in Nature, shows that these giants of the oceans play a more important role than expected in the recycling of nutrients by supporting the presence of phytoplankton and krill, so much so that their repopulation could help the oceans absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide by mitigating the effects of climate change.
According to the researchers’ analysis, large cetaceans consume an average of 5 to 30 percent of their body mass of prey: a North Pacific whale, for example, eats an average of 16 tons of krill per day, while a North Atlantic right whale ingests 5 tons of zooplankton. These estimates are three times higher than previous ones, deduced from the analysis of dead whales or from the consumption of smaller animals. The large cetaceans, therefore, can be considered as huge mobile plants for the processing of nutrients: due to their size, researchers compare them to Boeing 737 aircraft which, after eating, eliminate excrement by fertilizing the sea with iron and other elements useful for phytoplankton, which in turn can absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.
With these new data, the researchers calculate that at the beginning of the 20th century (before whaling caused the disappearance of millions of specimens) these animals “probably contributed to global productivity and carbon removal on a par with the forests of entire continents. Explains Nicholas Pyenson, curator of the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum. Helping their restocking can therefore be “a natural solution to the climate problem”, even if it could take decades to see the effects.
.
Source From: Ansa
I am an author at Global happenings and I mostly cover automobile news. In my time working in the automotive industry, I have developed a keen interest in the latest developments and trends. My writing skills have also allowed me to share my knowledge with others through articles and blog posts.
