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Home » Blog » 3 Important Ways Whales Play a Role in the Overall Health of the Marine Environment

3 Important Ways Whales Play a Role in the Overall Health of the Marine Environment

January 7, 2023
Filed Under: Ocean Health, Human Health

  1. Whales hunt and consume large amounts of fish and other marine organisms, which helps to prevent overpopulation of certain species, allowing for a healthy and sustainable marine environment. 
  2. Whales accumulate carbon in their bodies during their long lives. Each great whale sequesters an estimated 33 tons of CO2 on average, taking that carbon out of the atmosphere for centuries. 
  3. The way that whales feed, migrate, dive, and move circulates essential nutrients throughout the ocean which supports a healthy ecosystem and the growth of phytoplankton, which takes an immense amount of carbon from the atmosphere. Whales produce global benefits. 

Even though commercial whaling has been greatly decreased, whales are still impacted by human-made hazards of entanglement in discarded fish nets, ship strikes, noise pollution, entanglement in fishing nets, and plastic pollution.

Save the Whales – Protecting whales combats climate change. More whales foster a healthier global ocean by removing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Enhanced protection of whales from human-made impacts benefits whales, people, our blue planet.

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