Whale urine as a hidden force driving life in the oceans

Whales are not only some of the largest animals on Earth. They can also successfully compete for the palm of primacy in the plebiscite for the most useful. We often don’t realize how great their impact is on all of us, and in a rather surprising context – whale urine fuels life in the oceans. A single whale can produce nearly 1,000 liters of urine per day, providing the nutrients necessary for phytoplankton growth. The metabolic products of whales thus indirectly affect the global carbon cycle. So let’s take a closer look at this issue.

Phytoplankton – the foundation of ocean life

Phytoplankton is the fraction living in the ocean that is made up of microscopic plant organisms that drift in ocean waters and plays an important role in climate regulation. It takes up carbon dioxide from the water through photosynthesis, while releasing oxygen, which accounts for about half the volume of this element available in the atmosphere. Phytoplankton also takes in nutrients necessary for growth, such as nitrates and phosphates.

And although whale urine and feces are most often treated as metabolic products only, they are in fact an important source of the elements mentioned above. Whales, foraging in the deep, take care of their physiological needs closer to the surface of the water. As mammals, they need to take in air, and while doing so, they excrete large amounts of nutrient-rich feces, which are a byproduct of krill digestion.

In this way, whales carry elements usually only available in the lower ocean, closer to where they can actually be used. It is estimated that whales transport 45,000 tons of biomass. This action increases the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus in the oceans, thereby improving the productivity of such bodies of water.

It should also be added here that phytoplankton provide a food source for zooplankton, small fish and crustaceans, which in turn are eaten by larger predators. In this way, whale urchins affect the entire trophic chain of the ocean.

How do whales regulate the nutrient cycle?

Whales affect the circulation of nutrients in the oceans in two ways. The first is by providing nutrients on an impulse, through the aforementioned transfer of nutrients between different regions of the ocean during migration and habitation. The second way is the regular, steady release of nutrients at specific locations, which promotes the stability of marine ecosystems and influences the growth of phytoplankton. This process is referred to as the whale pump effect, which freely translated means whale nutrient pump. It is crucial for maintaining the high productivity of the oceans. This is evident to the extent that in regions where whale populations, most often as a result of human activities, have declined, a decrease in the biological productivity of the waters by up to half is observed.

What order of magnitude is involved? The researchers analyzed how fin whales (i.e., humpbacks, fin whales and blue whales, among others) enrich the oceans with their excretions (including urine, feces and post-natal excretions), as well as through decomposing bodies. All of the aforementioned sources provide as much as 3784 tons of nitrogen and as much as 46,512 tons of organic matter to nutrient-poor areas, noting that urine is the largest source of nitrogen. And one finwal can produce as much as 1,000 liters of urine per day. An impressive amount.

Whale urine and climate protection

Whales play an important role in reducing greenhouse gases not only in the context of providing food for phytoplankton. These animals also accumulate and store_CO2 in their bodies for long periods of time. At about 200 tons, the estimated amount of carbon dioxide absorbed can be 33 tons. That’s as much as 11 kg of_CO2 more than a tree.

On the other hand, when a whale dies, its body falls to the bottom of the ocean. This phenomenon is referred to as whale fall. The sunken corpse decomposes for decades, becoming a kind of ecosystem and providing food for a variety of species living in the deep, from large scavengers to microscopic organisms. The body of a dead whale can sequester carbon for hundreds or even thousands of years, and as deep-sea animals decompose and feed on the remains, the carbon circulates through the ecosystem, and thus is not released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

Do whales affect the climate? How important is species conservation?

We associate caring for nature with planting trees, among other things. However, the climate can be protected in various ways – the impact of whales on the marine ecosystem, mentioned here, is a perfect example. This is also worth talking about in the context of restoring the numbers of these creatures. A powerful threat to virtually all species of these animals has become commercial whaling. They were killed for whalebone, and their fat was used to make candles or lubricants. And even though a memorandum from the International Whaling Commission banned whaling on these animals in 1986, their populations still have not recovered.

Today, the biggest enemy of whales, although not directly, is still man. Climate change, increasing ocean pollution or ubiquitous microplastics significantly hinder the recovery of these animals’ populations. However, bearing in mind their difficult to overestimate impact on the climate, we can come to a clear conclusion – whale conservation is a topic that should concern us all. After all, the importance of these animals goes beyond individual species – the condition of us all depends on their presence. Whale urine, on the other hand, is more than a mere curiosity – it is part of nature’s complex and ingenious mechanism and proof of how one organism can affect many others.