Wales Could Help Reduce CO2 Concentration in the Atmosphere
A recent study by the University of Alaska Southeast (AUS) has found that whales, some of the largest creatures on Earth, could help reduce the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere and potentially aid in the fight against climate change. Blue, fin, and sperm whales store large amounts of carbon while feeding and growing, which sinks into the deep sea when they die. According to the study published in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution, whales consume about 4% of their body weight in krill and plankton daily, with a significant portion of their diet consisting of carbon that is stored in their biomass. Additionally, the nutrient-rich excrement of whales promotes the growth of phytoplankton, which also removes CO2 from the atmosphere.
Due to their size and longevity, whales are much more effective at storing carbon than smaller animals. Furthermore, the authors of the study suggest that whales may also influence nutrient dynamics and the carbon cycle beyond the oceans due to their enormous amounts of prey and waste products. However, the global whale population has significantly declined due to industrial whaling, which has also reduced the amount of carbon that whales directly and indirectly remove from the atmosphere. Therefore, protecting whales and allowing their populations to recover could naturally aid in the fight against climate change.
While the study suggests that protecting whales could be a more effective and low-risk strategy for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than geo-engineering solutions, the actual impact of this approach is still unknown. Nevertheless, the study highlights the importance of preserving the natural world and its inhabitants in the fight against climate change.
