The study noted that whales release nitrogen and iron into the ocean's ecosystem, providing a boost for plankton, which in turn feeds a variety of fish.
One of the authors of the study, Joe Roman, stated that whales feed in highly productive and high latitude areas and then migrate to low productivity, low latitude areas.
For example, whales may feed in Alaska and then breed in Hawaii. "They’re not feeding when they’re in Hawaii – or at least only rarely – but they are urinating and defecating,” he said.
In other terms, whales are ‘engineering’ the ocean's ecosystem, pumping nutrients from the deep ocean, where they feed, to the surface, moving them from high nutrient areas to low nutrient areas, replenishing the waters thousands of miles away.
But with whaling continuing to damage whale populations, this pump system isn’t as effective as it could be seemingly since every year; more than 2,000 whales of varying species are killed for their blubber and meat.
However, whale populations are recovering. Whaling was much worse in previous centuries and decades than it is now.
As the whale populations grow, ocean ecosystems should revitalize, and fish populations should grow too.
Want to see what it looks like? Watch the video below!