Whale poop gives the ocean a boost

in this latest article from conservationists at Vermont University who have discovered that whale poop may help re fertilize the ocean and fish areas. How do they do this? Well most whales defecate near the ocean surface, so instead of the nitrogen sinking to the bottom as in fish poop, the nitrogen stays in the upper water column which attracts algae to it (algae require nitrogen to grow). The fish then feed on this algae in cast quantities.  Roman, the conservationist from Vermont University, believes that this might increase conservation efforts on whales through the fishing industry. If you would like to read the full article published it is here. Makes some food for thought!

 This diagram shows how nutrients from whale dung move through the ocean ecosystem.

Courtesy of the University of Vermont