Saving North Atlantic Right Whales
Photo Credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, NOAA Research Permit # 775-1875
The Ocean might seem like one big open body of water, but each layer and corner of the ocean provides a unique habitat for diverse animals. The beginning of the food web in the ocean begins at the surface where there is the most sunlight. Whales are changing the surface of the ocean and are essential to the beginning of the food web. One particular species called the North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW) is in serious need of our siren voices.
NARWs are among the largest whale species in the world. Measuring up to 52 feet in length, they can be longer than the average yellow school bus. As with many large animals on the planet, they have a long life span of up to 70 years. This in turn means that it can take a really long time to see the populations of these animals grow. In the case of the NARW, there are less than 400 individual animals left in the northern Atlantic ocean where these whales live. Their population is declining so rapidly, scientists worry that within 25 years, the species will be extinct.
So what does a whale like the NARW have to do with the changing surface of the ocean? Well, whales are ecosystem engineers meaning they change and impact the habitat they live in. In this case, it's the whale POOP that does all the work. Whales defecate and that waste becomes “fertilizer” at the surface of the ocean. Organisms called phytoplankton (aka plant wanderer or drifter) live at the surface of the ocean where sunlight is abundant. Plants need nutrients to grow just as they need sunlight, thus the whale poop fertilizer is that nutrients!
Phytoplankton are the very foundation of the ocean food web. They are the primary producers or first level of energy makers in the food web. Their abundance and diversity directly impacts ALL creatures in the ocean. In addition, phytoplankton use carbon dioxide and release oxygen just like trees! This means a reduction in atmospheric carbon. Atmospheric carbon is in excess due to human behavior. It is wreaking havoc on our planet’s balance causing changes in climate.
Therefore, whales are one solution to slowing climate change. They are a major player in the removal of excess atmospheric carbon by way of fertilizing the phytoplankton that uses it. Whales not only move nutrients around the surface of the ocean, but they also bring nutrients up from the depths of the ocean too. Their place in the ocean ecosystem is extremely important.
NARWs are no exception. Due to the fact that NARWs hunt their food near the surface of the ocean in coastal waters along North America and northern Europe, they are being hit by large ships that transport our goods causing serious injury and death. In addition, they get tangled in fishing gear that we use to feed our communities. They are impacted by loss of their own food and habitat as the climate shifts creating warmer ocean temperatures. And finally the increased noise of shipping, transportation, and the search for our energy sources interrupts the whales ability to hunt, detect threats, and communicate among other whales.
Ways that you can help the NARW from going extinct include supporting rope less fishing gear, support lower vessel speed limits, reduce plastic pollution in the ocean, donate to an organization working to disentangle and conserve the whales, stay updated on information and educate others about your findings!
Take Action
Add your comments before March 1, 2021
Learn more about rope less fishing gear and threats to NARW
Learn more about the North Atlantic Right Whale
Summary NOAA Take Reduction Act
Take action to help protect NARW
Whale poop slowing climate change