Whales are unusually good at taking CO2 out of the atmosphere. – Copyright Getty/ lindsay_imagery
https://www.euronews.com-By Lottie Limb
There’s no doubt that whales are one of the most extraordinary animals on our planet, but did you know that they’re also helping to lighten the load of climate change?
We tend to think of trees as doing the bulk of natural work to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. While that’s certainly true on land, under the sea these titans of the ocean are playing a huge role.
Whales store large amounts of carbon in their bodies, and when they die they take it to the bottom of the ocean floor. Known as ‘whale falls’, these sinking carcasses ensure that the carbon is trapped in the deep sea rather than being released in surface waters.
Whales are doing the lion’s share of carbon storage undersea
New research at marine sanctuaries off San Francisco has revealed that whale falls represent roughly 60 per cent of annual carbon sequestration (or storage) there. This is greater than the combined efforts of ‘kelp export’ – where seaweed moves carbon loads out to the deep ocean – and the carbon-capturing habitats of seagrass and salt marsh.
In total, the four processes and habitats have the potential to lock away 4,950 megagrams of carbon (MgC) each year – the equivalent of 18,150 metric tonnes of CO2. That’s 140 times the amount of CO2 that is emitted from operations at the sanctuaries, according to the Greater Farallones Association.
The report’s authors say their findings are intended to steer managers of Marine Protected Areas towards better conserving these climate-critical resources.
But looking after whales is not something that humans have historically been good at.