When Whales Pee - it's Good for the Ocean

We have known for a long time that whale poop fertilises the ocean and helps mitigate climate change by sequestering carbon in the ocean. But when they eat in one place and then pee in entirely different places, it can be as good for the ocean as the poop, it helps spread fertiliser over otherwise nutrient-poor areas.

By moving nutrients over huge distances in this way, whales are not only feeding themselves – they are helping to build ecosystems, making the ocean richer and more resilient to climate change.

Motorways of nutrients in the sea

Large whales such as grey whales, right whales and humpback whales move over huge areas, from cold to warm waters and back. They give birth to their calves in some places and forage in others. And this is what is so clever and amazing about the sea, because as they feed in one place and swim over vast distances while pooing and peeing, they add nutrients along the way, from one place to a completely different one. Like giant swimming fertiliser tanks.

Scientists call it the ‘Great Whale Conveyor Belt’, as they fertilise the world’s oceans while they move across them.

Quite simply, they help breathe life into our planet and keep marine ecosystems functioning. Every time a whale urinates, sheds its skin, gives birth or even dies, it releases nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients that nourish entire ecosystems – sometimes thousands of kilometres from where the whales first fed. Particularly important for tropical and subtropical seas where nutrients are often in short supply

Industrial whaling – more harmful than we thought

A new study, led by Joe Roman and colleagues from the University of Vermont has shown that whales release around 4000 tonnes of nitrogen into the world’s oceans every year.

This is also a reminder of how damaging large-scale industrialised whaling was. Or, to put it another way, that whales are more important to both the ocean and our climate than we previously realised.

But there is hope. Joe Roman, who led the study, says humpback whales are an amazing success story. And the more large whales that swim across our oceans – the better for us humans.

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.