We were all aware of the influence of humans on the environment, but in these days we are having the opportunity to see it from another angle. Thanks to quarantine, we have been seeing several videos of animals that have not appeared in a certain location for years and now, travel freely. The reduction of noise, pollution, garbage, among others, showed the beauty of places, totally modified by humans, in their natural beauty.

Amidst of bad news, we chose this challenge to show the good side of quarantine and bring hope to the world. We also saw an opportunity to join forces from various areas to understand the importance of good coexistence with nature post COVID-19.

First we chose the ocean as the object of study, especially maritime noise. During this initial research, we found seismic tests, sonar, vessels and oil rigs, which would be the vectors of noise due to human activity, but we also have those coming from marine fauna, which depends on this mechanism for communication, reproduction and hunting.

From this point, we studied which animals would be most affected by the noise pollution. The humpback whale was chosen as our environmental sentinel, for being present on the Brazilian coast and being known as "singer whales", by the sounds emitted by the males to attract females in order to occur reproduction. However, noise pollution muffles these sounds, which is dangerous, especially in the Abrolhos region, since between July and November the humpback breeding season occurs. We can also mention the effect that sonars have on these animals, which frightened, flee to deep regions quickly, which can cause nitrogen accumulation in the brain and lead the animal to death.

We looked for search of data from a NOAA survey on the effects of quarantine on noise pollution and satellites that indicate acidity in water, which is directly linked to the absorption of sound by the ocean.

Understood the problem, we set out for the effects of quarantine on whale life. We studied their route and the period that these mammals arrive in Brazil, in the years before COVID, which would be in July. Then, through data from the Humpback Whale Project, we found that in 2020  the whales arrived in April, which is an anomalous behavior, confirming our suspicions.

For this reason, we started thinking about how it would affect human life. Ee came across information about how valuable whales are to climate change, since a single whale absorbs the same amount of carbon dioxide as 30,000 trees. We can also mention its economic importance: each of these whales has a value of 2 million dollars for world economy throughout its life.

Understanding the importance of the conservation of these animals, we seek in the Brazilian legislation laws to regulate noise pollution in favor of marine fauna and found that they are insufficient for the protection of these animals. After a study, we discovered U.S. and UK laws aimed at this goal. Therefore, we realized the feasibility of creating a regulation to be initially applied in Abrolhos, but with the Ocean Decade (2021-2030), it will have potential to become worldwide.

On the other hand, our biggest challenge was the lack of concrete data on the area of Abrolhos, such as the real situation of noise pollution in this area and exact numbers of whale sightings during quarantine, since field research of several Brazilian marine projects was interrupted by the pandemic. Another difficulty was to know about the feasibility of creating a law in Brazil, we believe that with a more in-depth and fully scientific study, it would be feasible to bring our proposal to the Senate.

Finally, we seek the opinion of several professionals in the field of maritime sciences who claimed to be a promising and relevant project for the marine life’s preservation, being our great achievement.

https://youtu.be/-QC8k5CElg4

1. With quarantine, it was possible to detect a decrease in underwater noise levels caused by ships.

Collected data:

NOAA - RESEARCH NEWS

The coronavirus pandemic response has reduced pollution from a large number of sources across many geographic regions. NOAA has launched a wide-ranging research effort to investigate the impact of reduced vehicle traffic, air travel, shipping, manufacturing and other activities on Earth’s atmosphere and oceans.

NOAA scientists are using the most advanced atmosphere-ocean models to look for changes in atmospheric composition, weather, climate, and precipitation over weeks to months. This research will provide important evaluations to improve weather forecasting and climate projections going forward.

“This unique view into the relative stillness we find ourselves in is only possible because of the existing baseline knowledge that NOAA has built over decades of monitoring, modeling and research,” said Craig McLean, assistant NOAA administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. “This research is providing new insight into the drivers of change for our oceans, atmosphere, air quality, and weather. Our past work has prepared us to investigate these unprecedented times.”

NOAA scientists are investigating the impact of decreased pollution in specific areas over the short term, and will analyze measurements collected from its global sampling network of contract airplanes, towers and ground sites at laboratories in Boulder, Colorado and College Park, Maryland. In the oceans, NOAA scientists will be assessing impacts of reduced underwater noise levels on marine life.

https://research.noaa.gov/article/ArtMID/587/ArticleID/2617/NOAA-exploring-impact-of-coronavirus-response-on-the-environment

NASA - EOSDIS Ocean Data

The Oceans discipline encompasses geophysical parameters that characterize the oceans (e.g., temperature, salinity, sea surface topography, chemistry/biology optics) as well as those physical processes operating within the Earth’s oceans and at its surface. Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) hold ocean data products describing many ocean processes including ocean circulations, winds, heat exchange between the ocean and atmosphere and the interaction of solar radiation with the ocean. Sea ice products also are included in the discipline (in  addition to being within the Cryosphere discipline). The primary DAACs for ocean products are the Physical Oceanography DAAC (PO.DAAC) and Ocean Biology DAAC (OB.DAAC). Sea ice products are provided by the Alaska Satellite Facility DAAC (ASF DAAC) and National Snow and Ice Data Center DAAC (NSIDC DAAC). Several other DAACs also hold Oceans data as they relate to their respective disciplines.

Canaltech - COVID-19's "silent sea" allows a better understanding of marine noise pollution

Social isolation and falling negotiations between countries can have a positive impact on the oceans. For the first time in many years, researchers are able to learn how marine mammals behave in the face of a quieter sea.

Experts from Dalhousie University, Canada, recorded academic work showing reduced noise pollution on the high seas. They research the impact of low- frequency sounds associated with moving boats.

In comparison with January, there was a fall between 4 to 5 decibels in the loudness recorded both in regions near and far from Canadian ports. According to the researchers, the reduction in imports and imports in the country fell 20% also in the same period.

This is a moment considered special for scholars of the sector. Years ago, they did not have an environment that would allow them to hear whales and other mammals with the quality that they now have.

"We have the opportunity to listen and this opportunity should not appear again in our era," says Michelle Fournet, researchers at Cornell University, Alaska. According to the researcher, the scenario that we have now was only seen on 9/11, when the United States reduced mobility in the region. At the time, researchers completed studies on whale stress levels associated with noise pollution in the region.

https://canaltech.com.br/meio-ambiente/mar-silencioso-da-covid-19-permite-entender-melhor-a-poluicao-sonora-maritima-163934/

Hypeness - Scientists record effects of reducing ocean noise in whales during quarantines

Scientists are investigating the impact of reduced human activity on marine life . In conjunction with Ocean Networks Canada , researchers point to a drop in low- level frequencies that are normally attributed to ships . The move could have positive impacts for whales and other marine animals.

Economic indicators point to a drop of about 20% in imports and exports in the region. Thanks to changes in society caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, the level of noise in the oceans today is believed to be similar to that of 150 years ago, as The Guardian reported .

https://www.hypeness.com.br/2020/05/cientistas-registram-efeitos-da-reducao-do-ruido-oceanico-em-baleias-durante-quarentenas/

Ocean Networks Canada - Hushed seas: monitoring underwater noise during COVID-19

A new study using Ocean Networks Canada’s (ONC) Pacific Ocean hydrophone data reveals a significant reduction in underwater noise during the COVID-19 shutdown, which may be good news for endangered southern resident killer whales.

When the coronavirus put the world on lockdown in March 2020, David Barclay, assistant professor at Dalhousie University’s Department of Oceanography, recognized a unique opportunity to monitor changes in underwater noise. Without leaving his home in Atlantic Canada, Barclay was able to remotely study the Pacific Ocean soundscape using ONC’s open and freely available, continuous, real-time hydrophone data.

“ONC operates an amazing network of underwater observatories that provide a tool to characterize the soundscape of British Columbia’s coastal waters,” says Dr. Barclay. “These hydrophones allow us to analyze everything from the force of winter storms to the presence of killer whales—all in near real-time.”

The research paper, which was recently accepted for publication in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, found a consistent drop in underwater noise since 1 January 2020, amounting to four or five decibels in the period up to 1 April 2020. Using data from ONC’s network of underwater microphones allowed Barclay and his east coast colleagues to monitor noise levels in the deep sea off the west coast of Vancouver Island, and in the Strait of Georgia, home to Canada’s busiest port as well as the endangered southern resident killer whales.

“This is an unprecedented opportunity to study a quieter ocean,” comments Richard Dewey, ONC’s associate director of science. “What we are seeing right now is a significant shutdown, anywhere from 20 percent for some deep-sea cargo vessels and ferries, all the way up to 100 percent for the tourism, cruise ships, and whale watching industries.

https://www.oceannetworks.ca/hushed-seas-monitoring-underwater-noise-during-covid-19

2. The decrease was a positive point that should continue after the quarantine. Positive because the loud noises affect the life, health, food and reproduction of marine animals, especially whales.

Collected data:

NOAA - Sounds Under the Surface

Every day we are surrounded by noises – from cars and planes, construction sites, and factories. While for most of us it is an annoyance, in some cases it can be harmful.

But have you ever thought about noises in the ocean? There are natural sounds from storms and waves, but also an increasing number of human- made sounds from boats, oil exploration and production, and military sonar.

There is increasing concern that these noises may affect marine animals, especially whales. Scientists want to know whether noises affect basic behaviors in whales, such as diving and feeding. They are also interested in knowing how different types of noises might affect these behaviors. So, an international team of scientists and underwater sound experts conducted a study at a U.S. Navy listening range to try and figure this all out.

Scientists attached digital acoustic recording tags to the whales while they were at the surface. These tags record every sound the whale makes along with its movement. The study lasted two years and compiled data from beaked whales, pilot whales, and melon headed whales.

With this data, scientists created animations showing the whales behavior before, during, and after being exposed to low levels of a variety of sounds; including sonar. The results showed that beaked whales, which are known for

diving to extreme depths, were much more sensitive to sonar than other species. Even low levels of these sounds disrupted their diving, vocal, and likely feeding behaviors.

The results are significant for the Navy in terms of planning operations and also for NOAA in developing whale conservation and management tools.

https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/soundsunderthesurface/

European Environment Agency - Ocean acidification

Past trends

The global annual mean atmospheric CO2 concentration exceeded400 ppm in 2016, which is more than 40 % above the pre-industrial level (280 ppm); half of that increase has occurred since the 1980s. Over the same period, ocean pH reduced from 8.11 to below 8.06, which corresponds to an approximately 30 % increase in ocean acidity (defined here as the hydrogen ion concentration). This decrease in pH occurred at a rate of approximately

0.02 pH units per decade (Bindoff et al. 2019), which is about 100 times faster than any change in acidity experienced during the past 55 million years (Rhein et al., 2013). The measured reduction in surface pH in the surface mixed layer (depths to 100 m) is consistent with that calculated on the basis of increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations, assuming thermodynamic equilibrium between the ocean surface and the atmosphere (Byrne et al., 2010). The northernmost seas, i.e. the Norwegian Sea and the Greenland Sea, have experienced surface water pH reductions of 0.13 and 0.07, respectively, since the 1980s, both of which are larger than the global average (Ingunn et al., 2014). In the Mediterranean Sea, all waters have been acidified by values ranging from −0.156 to −0.055 pH units since the beginning of the industrial era, which is clearly higher than elsewhere in the open ocean (Touratier and Goyet, 2011; Hassoun et al., 2015).

https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/indicators/ocean-acidification-2/assessment

NOAA - To protect marine life, NOAA monitoring seasonal and yearly changes in surface water pH in Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico

Since atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions began to increase after the Industrial Revolution, the acidity of the ocean’s surface waters has increased by 30%. This rising acidity—reflected in falling pH levels—harms shell- building creatures and other marine life. As part of their effort to protect our oceans and the communities that depend on them, NOAA scientists have developed a way to visualize and monitor monthly and yearly changes in surface water pH in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/featured-images/protect-marine-life-noaa-monitoring-seasonal-and-yearly-changes

War of the Whales – A True Story (book)

Perhaps the war of the whales was inevitable. Perhaps the two most successful hunters on the planet were destined to collide. Humans had dominated life on land for 150 centuries, while whales had held dominion over the world’s oceans for 40 million years.

Following the mass extinction of dinosaurs and enormous sea-faring reptiles, the cetacean ancestors of whales and dolphins abandoned life on land and returned to the oceans that first spawned them. It proved to be a hugely successful reverse migration. Hunting alone or in small family groupings, in pods of a dozen or herds a thousand strong, whales owed their success to a weapon that set them apart from every other marine predator: biosonar, using beams of sound to light up the dark ocean depths.

Small wonder, then, that whales ruled the oceans for tens of millions of years—until another highly social, intelligent, and adaptive terrestrial mammal dipped its toes into the water.

https://warofthewhales.com/

Nature - Ocean uproar: saving marine life from a barrage of noise

Ship engines, underwater blasts, sonar and oil drilling are filling the seas with sound. Researchers are now trying to pin down the damage humanity’s growing acoustic footprint has on ocean life.

[…]

Shipping noise disrupts dolphins’ communication systems. Credit: Richard Steinberger/500px/Getty

PDF version

In Colombia’s Gulf of Tribugá, a deep channel runs from the Pacific Ocean into shore. It’s a promising place for a port. But right now, only the occasional ship plies these waters. Fishing in the tiny coastal towns around the gulf is small-scale; many locals use dugout canoes. This coast is peaceful in a way

that most people don’t stop to think about: its seas are largely unmarred by human noise. Its underwater world is filled with the whistles and clicks of endangered humpback whales, the grunting of fishes and the snapping of shrimp.

“It’s your perfect, wanting-to-fall-asleep cacophony of animal sounds,” says Kerri Seger, a researcher with the marine-technology firm Applied Ocean Sciences in Santa Monica, California, who is studying the region’s marine acoustics.

That could soon change. Plans are afoot to build a major international port in the gulf to improve transport routes to Asia. The transition from quiet coast to bustling shipping route could disrupt humpbacks (Megaptera novaeangliae) and other local populations. Although Seger hopes that local protests will prevent the port development, she also sees Colombia’s Pacific coast as a rare experimental site that could help to answer a pressing question for marine science: how badly is humanity’s growing acoustic footprint damaging ocean life?

International concern is ramping up fast as evidence grows about problems arising from the din created by military sonar, seismic surveys, oil drilling, dredging and ship engines. Short, loud blasts of sound can cause physical damage; persistent background noise, such as that from shipping, can alter a host of systems and behaviours, from communication to feeding.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01098-6

Galileu Magazine - Ship sonar can literally kill scared whales, study shows

It is not new that scientists know that ship sonar impacts marine life. But it is only recently that a new study published by the Royal Society B explains the causes and impact of this sound on whales.

Marine mammals suffer most from sonar. Stunned by the noise, the animals swim thousands of meters and oscillate, diving towards the bottom of the sea and back to the surface. The result, according to the study, is the union of a painful effect of decompression and nitrogen bubbles in the blood. A ship's sonar can produce a deafening noise, ranging from 170 to 196 decibels.

Sonars were not very common before 1960. It was only later, with the appearance of a type of active medium-frequency sonar (MFAS), that the

impact on marine life worsened and whales began to be found stranded and killed on beaches.

The study is a summary of what was discussed at a meeting of specialists in beaked whales, still in 2017, in the Canary Islands. According to the study, the impact of sound is linked to the presence of nitrogen bubbles in the blood of these animals.

These blisters can cause bleeding and damage vital organs. What happens is very similar to the decompression process that divers go through when returning to the surface very quickly.

“In the presence of sonar, these animals are stressed and try to escape the noise, thus changing the diving pattern,” says one of the study's authors, Yara Bernaldo de Quiros, to the AFP news agency .

The impact may change from whale to whale, but it results from a lot of adrenaline in the system. The authors of the study also noted that countries that banned the use of MFAS under the sea showed a significant improvement in marine life. An example of this is the Canary Islands, which since 2004 has followed a Spanish government moratorium that restricts the use of sonar.

Despite the positive result, many countries still use this technology. This is the case of the United States, Greece, Italy and Japan, for example.

https://revistagalileu.globo.com/Ciencia/Meio-Ambiente/noticia/2019/01/sonar-de-navios-pode-literalmente-matar-baleias-de-medo-mostra-estudo.html

Só Biologia - “Noisy” oceans affect marine animals

Noise pollution in large cities has long been the subject of several discussions regarding its harmful effects on human health.

More recently, the ONU (United Nations Organization) reported its concern about the increase in noise pollution also at sea.

Apparently, this pollution is affecting and jeopardizing the survival of marine species.

The increase in man-made marine cacophony poses a problem, especially for mammals, who use sounds to communicate. Marine mammals such as whales and dolphins depend largely on sound for communication, reproduction and perception of the environment.

https://www.sobiologia.com.br/conteudos/jornal/noticia1.php

NOAA

Ocean noise impacts organisms in many ways: it can mask communication, reduce growth and reproduction, interfere with foraging, and disrupt reproductive activities. Many marine mammals respond to noise by altering their breathing rates, increasing or reducing their time underwater, changing the depths or speeds of their dives, shielding their young, changing their song durations, and swimming away from the affected area. Extreme noise pollution may cause temporary or permanent haring loss in marine mammals and other organisms. Disorientation and hearing loss may account, in part, for cases in which ships collide with marine mammals that are apparently unaware of the approaching vessel. Oil exploration-related seismic surveys may cause fish to disperse from the acoustic pulse with possible disruption to their feeding patterns. Available data on fish indicated potential effects on sensitive egg and larval stages within a few meters of the sound source.

https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/sentinel-site-program/cordell-bank/noise.html

NOAA - What is ocean noise?

Ocean noise refers to sounds made by human activities that can interfere with or obscure the ability of marine animals to hear natural sounds in the ocean.

Many marine organisms rely on their ability to hear for their survival. Sound is the most efficient means of communication underwater and is the primary way that many marine species gather and understand information about their environment. Many aquatic animals use sound to find prey, locate mates and offspring, avoid predators, guide their navigation and locate habitat, and listen and communicate with each other.

Over the last century, human activities such as shipping, recreational boating, and energy exploration have increased along our coasts, offshore, and deep ocean environments. Noise from these activities travel long distances underwater, leading to increases and changes in ocean noise levels.

Rising noise levels can negatively impact ocean animals and ecosystems. These higher noise levels can reduce the ability of animals to communicate with potential mates, other group members, their offspring, or feeding partners. Noise can also reduce an ocean animal's ability to hear

environmental cues that are vital for survival, including those key to avoiding predators, finding food, and navigating to preferred habitats.

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ocean-noise.html

3. We choose the Abrolhos Bank in Brazil,for being the local of reproduction of Humpback Whales and has ship traffic.

Collected data:

Correio Brasiliense

The Marinha do Brasil (MB), Agência Nacional de Petróleo (ANP) and the Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis (Ibama), reported on Tuesday (10/29) that no evidence of oil was found in the area of the Abrolhos-BA environmental reserve.

https://www.correiobraziliense.com.br/app/noticia/brasil/2019/10/29/interna-brasil,801892/marinha-afirma-que-nao-foram-encontrados-indicios-de-oleo-em-abrolhos.shtml

Brasil Escola

The extension of the Brazilian sea covers an area of approximately 3.5 million km2, integrated by the territorial sea, with 12 nautical miles in width equivalent to

22.2 km; coastal and ocean islands; the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone, measured from the limit outside the 12 miles of the territorial sea to 200 nautical miles from the coast (370 km). Brazil disputes before the Comissão de limites da plataforma continental (CLPC) of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea the incorporation of an additional 712 thousand km2 of extension of the continental shelf in addition to the 200 nautical miles already guaranteed by law, if approved, this incorporation would transform the Brazilian marine area, in more than half of the terrestrial territory and larger than the Amazon (JURAS and GONÇALVES, 2014).

The jurisdiction of Brazil in the territorial sea is sovereign, except with respect to civil and criminal jurisdiction in a foreign merchant ship in an innocent passage, whose jurisdiction is the flag State (principle of the flag State jurisdiction).

The Brazilian coastal zone is of great importance, as it is here that 90% of all marine life is found, which begins in the transition strip from the continent to the seas and oceans. In Brazil there are few marine protected areas, which are less

than 1.5% of the entire coastal zone and jurisdictional maritime space (MESQUITA, 2014).

The Parque Nacional Marinho de Abrolhos was created in 1983, through Decree No. 88.218 / 83, signed by President João Figueiredo. It is the first preservation area created by Brazil, and is located in the municipalities of Caravelas and Alcoçaba in Bahia. It has about 91,300 hectares, with 5 (five) islands within its limits, however one of them is part of the Marinha Brasileira (ICMBIO, 2016).

https://monografias.brasilescola.uol.com.br/direito/areas-protecao-marinha-preservacao-mar.htm

Revista A3-Meio Ambiente

The Methodology of Telemetry Satelital allows to follow, almost in real time, the movement of the animals, which carry in the body small transmitters that emit radio signals captured by the satellites located kilometers of the Earth. The signals are processed and converted into geographic coordinates, transmitted to the receiving stations and, finally, made available to researchers via the internet. Telemetry makes it possible to access, in a more efficient way, unpublished data about the habits of these animals, information that was previously impossible to access.

Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade

Tourism is another expression of the economic importance of the Conservation Unit. The tourist flow generated by the Park guarantees hundreds of jobs in hotels, inns, restaurants and other activities related to the sector. Tourism represents 20% of the GDP of the Costa das Baleias municipalities.

The Abrolhos Archipelago began to form between 42 and 52 million years ago, when underwater volcanic eruptions spilled lava at the bottom of the seas. On this rocky base were developed corals, calcareous algae and other organisms that today form the archipelago. The bottom is formed by sand of biological origin, with pieces of shells, corals etc.

16,000 years ago, during the height of the last great ice age, sea levels were 130 meters below the current one. It is believed that part of the Abrolhos platform remained submerged during this period, which allowed corals to survive. The region would thus be one of the coral "reservoirs" in the world, from where it would have radiated to other locations, when the waters rose again.

The countless corals in the region made navigation difficult and were responsible for frequent accidents and shipwrecks - they started to call the region "open your eyes". Over time, it passed to Abrolhos. Due to various accidents, in 1861 a

lighthouse was installed on the island of Santa Bárbara. With their installation, the sailors were more relieved, but their problems are not over.

https://www.icmbio.gov.br/portal/images/stories/biodiversidade/UC-RPPN/plano_interativo_parna_marinho_dos_abrolhos_2018.pdf

Desviantes

Abrolhos - Humpback Whales

A favorite place for these animals, the Abrolhos archipelago, about 70 kilometers off the coast of Caravelas, in Bahia, is considered one of the largest nurseries for Humpback whales in the world - it is no wonder that it was the first National Marine Park in Brazil. To be aware of the number of whales that exist in the region, it is estimated that 90% of the Humpback whales that migrate to the Brazilian coast are in Abrolhos and, therefore, the probability of seeing them is very great. The observation tour is done on a catamaran, where you will be able to see hundreds of whales swimming and jumping (many of them accompanied by their calves), and even stops at the islands of the archipelago for diving.

https://desviantes.com.br/blog/post/onde-e-quando-ver-baleias-no-brasil/

4. Prove how the welfare of whales influences human life. 

Collected data:

THE WASHINGTON POST – An Economist quantifies how valuable whales are to fighting climate change

“One night on the boat, Chami overheard Michael Fishbach, executive director of the Great Whale Conservancy, use the term “whale carbon” and the two began talking about the true value of a living whale. Chami found out that whales may be able to store nine tons of carbon in their body by eating phytoplankton, their main food source. A single whale, he learned, could capture the same amount of carbon dioxide as 30,000 trees.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/an-economist-quantifies-how-valuable-whales-are-to-fighting-climate-change/2019/11/11/b67c5302-f5e6-11e9-8cf0-4cc99f74d127_story.html

GAUCHAZD AMBIENTE – Removing the whales causes imbalance", says director of the Baleia-Franca Institute

“Most whales are still endangered and they play a key role in the oceans, in nutrient cycling and in different functions that each animal species does in the marine ecosystem.”

https://gauchazh.clicrbs.com.br/ambiente/noticia/2018/09/remover-as-baleias-provoca-desequilibrio-afirma-diretora-do-instituto-baleia-franca-cjm5d4yjf020m01mnqcv651d8.html

TERRA – Study: whale feces fertilize important ecosystems

“Thanks to their nutrient-rich feces, whales are fundamentally important to the transport of nutrients from the place where they feed - in deep waters - to the surface, where they fertilize plants called phytoplankton. Sixteen specimens of whale feces from the Gulf of Maine were examined in the United States. Nitrogen concentrations were found in the specimens, which are related to the nitrogen used by microbes and phytoplankton. The presence of whales allows more phytoplankton to grow, increasing the production of animals that eat the plant.”

https://www.terra.com.br/noticias/ciencia/pesquisa/estudo-fezes-de-baleia-fertilizam-importantes-ecossistemas,4ff8ecafcd5ea310VgnCLD200000bbcceb0aRCRD.html

ECONSERV – Why protect whales? – the ecological importance of whales and dolphins.

“Key species for the environment are those that, if they disappear, will lead to the disappearance of several other species. All the interaction networks that these species have with the other species in that environment are important. Within this aspect, an important relationship is that of predator and prey. Many cetaceans are representatives of the last trophic level.

Therefore, they feed on a wide variety of prey: fish, squid, shrimp and even other cetaceans (like the famous orcas). Thus, the impact of these animals on the environment is great and if they are removed from that ecosystem, many relationships will deteriorate.”

https://econserv.wordpress.com/2015/11/19/porque-proteger-as-baleias/

PROJETO BALEIA JUBARTE - Economists Assess Brazilian Whales are worth

Billions of Dollars

A team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has devoted itself to developing a methodology to assess the full value of a living whale, […]. That assessment concluded that whale populations across the planet are worth about a trillion dollars!

A team of people from the Projeto Baleia Jubarte, Great Whale Conservancy and Duke University, which carried out the original study for the IMF, used the same methodology to estimate the value of populations of large whales that exist in Brazil, and concluded that the services they provide to us are worth US $ 82.5 billion.

https://www.baleiajubarte.org.br/projetoBaleiaJubarte/noticia.php?id=590