Tuesday November 26, 2024
KNEWZ —
The UK government, in collaboration with six universities and research centers, focused on naturally fertilizing the oceans by introducing synthetic whale poop. The team called this approach ‘marine biomass regeneration.’ David King, former chief scientific adviser to the UK government, told New Scientist, “We were trying to repopulate the ocean. I didn’t know whether the experiment would be the final answer. I was very attracted to the idea that, after a while, if the whale population [recovered], we could leave the whales as the biological pump.”
Earlier research showed that when whales dove deep and released poop, essential nutrients like iron, nitrogen, and phosphorus were released into the water. These nutrients were crucial for ocean life and helped tiny plants called phytoplankton survive. Whale waste contains three to seven times more nutrients than regular ocean water, making the process more productive.
Knewz.com learned that as phytoplankton grew, they absorbed carbon dioxide (CO₂), roughly 22 million metric tons each year. When they died and sank to the seabed, they stored some of this carbon long-term, helping reduce harmful CO₂ in the atmosphere. By adding synthetic whale waste—mainly nitrogen with other nutrients—scientists aimed to restore ecosystems, increase fish populations, and reduce CO₂ levels, hoping it would function similarly to real whale poop.