Recent research has revealed that baleen whales, the giant marine creatures of the sea, have played a significant role in carbon sequestration comparable to that of forests. Their excrement contains abundant nutrients, including iron, which, when released into the ocean surface, stimulates a massive proliferation of plant plankton. This flourishing of plant plankton, known as a "bloom," effectively absorbs a substantial amount of carbon dioxide. The magnitude of these plankton blooms is directly proportional to the population of whales.
Before experiencing a drastic decline due to commercial whaling in the 20th century, it is believed that the scale of carbon removal attributed to whales was equivalent to that of land-based forests. If the whale population were to recover significantly, there exists the potential for them to absorb an immense quantity of carbon.
Unfortunately, the depleted numbers of whales, resulting from commercial whaling, have yet to rebound. Additionally, their survival and reproduction are significantly impeded by threats such as marine pollution from plastics and chemicals, acoustic disturbances caused by military activities, as well as rising ocean temperatures and acidification. However, if the whale population were to make a substantial recovery, it could lead to environmental improvements for our planet. This would undoubtedly be beneficial for future generations, including our children.
