Keeping our beaches litter-free is important. Cleaning up disastrous oil spills is paramount. Cutting green house emissions is pertinent. Yes, all of these things are vital to keeping our oceans healthy and happy. However, we are omitting one very important piece of the puzzle: whale poop.
That’s right, you read correct, I said “whale poop.” The fact of the matter is (at least according to NPR), whale dung that floats atop of the ocean’s surface helps to nourish algae which in turn, feeds the fish.
According to Joe Roman, a conservation biologist at the University of Vermont, as whales defecate at the surface of the ocean, they are as a result, “fertilizing their own areas where they are feeding.” The whales' feces produces more algae, which is eaten by more fish, which are eaten by the whales...you get the gist.
Who would have thought that whales are the living fertilizers of the sea?! Come to think of it, how in the world did Joe Roman figure out that whale poop floats? Ahh, thus the saga continues. Have YOU helped save the world today?
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