Scientists have discovered that whales can actually help mitigate climate change, which is referred to as long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns.
A recent study from the University of Otago and the University of Alaska Southeast said that whales may be the largest living carbon sink in the pelagic zone of the open ocean.
The study focuses on carbon sequestration, which is a process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide. The process is aimed at reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Scientists have said that the most prevalent greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2), must be stored and captured if global warming is to be stopped. Carbon sequestration majorly talks about planting trees or restoring wetlands.
But while mentioning whales, scientists said that because of their vast size, they can naturally absorb a lot of CO2. It means none of that carbon will leak into the atmosphere when they die and sink to the ocean floor.
"Their size and longevity allow whales to exert strong effects on the carbon cycle by storing carbon more effectively than small animals, ingesting extreme quantities of prey, and producing large volumes of waste products," the authors said.
"Considering that baleen whales have some of the longest migrations on the planet, they potentially influence nutrient dynamics and carbon cycling over ocean-basin scales," they added.
According to the study, whales will consume up to 4 per cent of their body weight each day. Krill and photosynthetic plankton make up a large portion of their diets.
This equates to about 3.6 tonnes of food each day for a blue whale. Whales can aid in the process of krill and plankton photosynthesis, which absorbs carbon. (wionews)