Whale feces
Nitrogen and iron chelate released by cetacean species offer significant benefits to the marine food chain and contribute to long-term carbon sequestration.
Studying whale feces provides valuable insights into the lives of these marine creatures, aiding scientists in understanding their behaviors, diets, and overall well-being.
Furthermore, the nutrients released through whale feces play a vital role in marine ecosystems, supporting phytoplankton growth, enhancing the food chain, and contributing to the overall health of the oceans.
In addition to feces, the digestive system of sperm whales produces ambergris, a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull grey or blackish color which can be found floating on the sea or washed up on the coast.
Additionally, the iron-rich feces of krill-eating whales encourage phytoplankton growth, benefiting the marine food chain and sequestering carbon dioxide for extended periods.
The Southern Ocean, rich in nutrients but iron-deficient, experiences increased phytoplankton blooms due to whale feces, acting as a significant carbon sink.
[5] The release of iron from whale feces encourages the growth of phytoplankton in the sea,[5] which not only benefits the marine food chain, but also sequesters carbon for long periods of time.
[11] A study conducted in the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago of the southwest Atlantic Ocean, revealed the feces and vomit of Spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) formed part of the diet of twelve species of reef fish from seven different families.
Population reduction of whales and other large animals has severely affected the efficacy of pump mechanisms which transport nutrients from the deep sea to the continental shelves.
[13] Whale feces contain DNA, hormones, toxins and other chemicals which can give information on a number of aspects of the health, natural history and ecology of the animal concerned.
[14] A research study, published in 2012, on impacts of overfishing and maritime traffic on a wild population of the Southern Resident Killer Whales of the western seaboard of North America, was based on the chemical analysis of fecal specimens of orcas.
The study aimed to find out the reasons for orca decline for which three causes were hypothesized - disturbance by boats and ships, lack of food, and, long-term exposure of toxins which accumulate in whale fat, namely DDT, PBDT and PCB.
[15] Fecal samples of orca were detected with the help of a trained spotter dog, a black labrador retriever, named "Tucker", from a firm Conservation Canines.
Fecal samples collected were tested for the presence and quantity of DNA, as well as stress, nutrition and reproductive hormones, and toxins such as PBDE, PCB, and DDT congeners.
