Whale biomass can be an effective reservoir of atmospheric carbon. article about it published In Ecology and Evolutionary Trends.
According to the modern ideas of scientists, the excess of atmospheric carbon dioxide is the main cause of global warming due to the greenhouse effect it creates. In this context, experts are considering various options for removing carbon from the atmosphere and fixing it in the environment. In particular, this can be done by increasing the biomass, which is mostly carbon.
Scientists at the University of Southeast Alaska have proposed seeing whales as such a storehouse of biomass. Whales can weigh up to 150 tons, can live for up to 100 years, and are an important element of the ocean’s offshore region, where 22% of the world’s carbon is stored. “Their size and longevity allow whales to have a strong impact on the carbon cycle, storing carbon more efficiently than small animals, consuming large amounts of prey and producing large amounts of waste,” the authors write.
Whales consume 4% of their body weight per day by feeding on krill and phytoplankton. For a blue whale, this is almost 4,000 kilograms. Their droppings are rich in important nutrients that help krill and plankton thrive and support photosynthesis and carbon storage. Also, when a whale dies, its remains go deep and bury a lot of carbon there.
The authors of the study believe that the restoration of the whale population is an important component of the fight against global warming.