Recovering Whales Have a Large and Positive Influence on the World's Oceans

Whales may seem like they're rare and as if they wouldn't have a large impact on the world's ecosystem, but that's entirely incorrect. It turns out that these large mammals have a powerful and positive influence on the function of the world's oceans, global carbon storage and the health of commercial fisheries.

Baleen and sperm whales, which are known collectively as the "great whales," include the largest animals to have ever lived on Earth. They have large metabolic demands and eat many fish and invertebrates. They, themselves, are pretty to predators like killer whales and also help distribute nutrients through the water when their bodies drop to the seafloor after they die.

"As humpbacks, grey whales, sperm whales and other cetaceans recover from centuries of overhunting, we are beginning to see that they also play an important role in the ocean," said Joe Roman, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Among their many ecological roles, whales recycle nutrients and enhance primary productivity in areas where they feed."

In order to get a better understanding at the role whales play in the ecosystem, the researchers tallied several decades-worth of research on whales from around the world. They found that whales make a positive change in the ocean. Unfortunately, the decline in whale numbers is estimated to be anywhere between 66 and 90 percent. This new study shows the importance of protecting whales in order to help ocean ecosystems.

"The continued recovery of great whales may help to buffer marine ecosystems from destabilizing stresses," the team of scientists write. Roman further went on to say, "As long-lived species, they enhance the predictability and stability of marine ecosystems."

The findings reveal the importance of preserving these species for the future. Not only that, but the observations reveal a bit more about the historical population dynamics of these mammals.

The findings are published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.