When the International Whaling Commission meets in Morocco next week to discuss lifting the moratorium on commercial whaling, delegates might pause to consider an unexpected fact: the faeces of sperm whales is helping to save the planet.

Australian researchers have found that the iron-rich faeces of sperm whales living in the Southern Ocean boosts the growth of phytoplankton, marine plants which suck in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They estimate that the whales are responsible for removing 400,000 tonnes of carbon each year, twice as much as they contribute through respiration.

According to the scientists, based at Adelaide's Flinders University, they would be disposing of 10 times as much carbon were it not for commercial whaling. Their faeces is useful because it is emitted in liquid form close to the surface of the ocean, where phytoplankton is found, according to the study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

Trish Lavery, the lead researcher, based at the university's School of Biological Sciences, estimates that each of the Southern Ocean's approximately 12,000 sperm whales releases about 50 tonnes of iron into the sea annually.

Previously, the enormous mammals were regarded as climate criminals because they breathe out carbon dioxide. But Ms Lavery concluded that they are a major carbon absorbent, removing the equivalent of the emissions of 40,000 cars each year.

She said: "They have certainly gone past the carbon-neutral status that we all aspire to, and they're actually sinking more carbon from the atmosphere each year into the deep ocean ... than what they add to the atmosphere.

"If we hadn't decreased sperm whale populations from their historical levels, we'd have an extra about two million tonnes of carbon being pulled out of our atmosphere every year."

- INDEPENDENT

By Kathy Marks

My link

makes"Shit Happens" into "shit makes things happen"

I once read that whale sperm was actually valuable & used in ladies cosmetics.

Lip gloss among other things.........heheh ok I wont go any further with that.... Other than to say if it was a man instead of a whale... lip gloss price could see a big reduction

Are you talking about ambergris?

I once read that whale sperm was actually valuable & used in ladies cosmetics.

Lip gloss among other things.........heheh ok I wont go any further with that.... Other than to say if it was a man instead of a whale... lip gloss price could see a big reduction

The "sperm" of whales that they talk about is not the semen. The sperm is the spermacetti wax that is produced in the head, not to be confused with ambergris, which is basically whale vomit. Spermacetti is/was used in cosmetics, while ambergris is/was used in perfume.

It's a bit hard to believe that each whale excretes a tonne of iron per week in it's faeces!

The "sperm" of whales that they talk about is not the semen. The sperm is the spermacetti wax that is produced in the head, not to be confused with ambergris, which is basically whale vomit. Spermacetti is/was used in cosmetics, while ambergris is/was used in perfume.

It's a bit hard to believe that each whale excretes a tonne of iron per week in it's faeces!

Yes that is correct & yes basically whale vomit.

It actually floats in a pile doesn't it?

some floated onto Phuket last year

70,000 baht per kilogram

'Floating gold' washing up on Phuket beach

70,000 baht per kilogram !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ambergris added to my long list of things to watch out for in Thailand...

- truffles

- gold nuggets

- jap treasure

etc..

70,000 baht per kilogram !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ambergris added to my long list of things to watch out for in Thailand...

- truffles

- gold nuggets

- jap treasure

etc..

Don't forget, if you're anywhere near where they butcher a buffalo..... bovine gall stones are literally worth more than their weight in gold.

I used to be a meat inspector....and I would find them every now and then.....they don't weigh much though after they dry out but after I'd collected a few ounces it was off to the chinese pharmacists. $400 an ounce in the 1980's

^ added to the list

I once read that whale sperm was actually valuable & used in ladies cosmetics.

Lip gloss among other things.........heheh ok I wont go any further with that.... Other than to say if it was a man instead of a whale... lip gloss price could see a big reduction

The "sperm" of whales that they talk about is not the semen. The sperm is the spermacetti wax that is produced in the head, not to be confused with ambergris, which is basically whale vomit. Spermacetti is/was used in cosmetics, while ambergris is/was used in perfume.

It's a bit hard to believe that each whale excretes a tonne of iron per week in it's faeces!

But where does the iron come from? The whale doesn't create it, that takes a nuclear reaction, so they must take it out of the ocean before they put it back.

70,000 baht per kilogram !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ambergris added to my long list of things to watch out for in Thailand...

- truffles

- gold nuggets

- jap treasure

etc..

Don't forget, if you're anywhere near where they butcher a buffalo..... bovine gall stones are literally worth more than their weight in gold.

I used to be a meat inspector....and I would find them every now and then.....they don't weigh much though after they dry out but after I'd collected a few ounces it was off to the chinese pharmacists. $400 an ounce in the 1980's

I cant imagine what that would smell like,but Im guessing it wouldnt be pleasant

It's rally sad to see that I haven't seen any Thai National to sign the petition agains whale hunting.

So far 1,206,515 peole have signe the petition.

The orginizers are at the meeting venue together with other NGOs to fight against whale hunting.

To sign the petition follow this slink

It's an international issue, Thailand included.

It's rally sad to see that I haven't seen any Thai National to sign the petition agains whale hunting.

So far 1,206,515 peole have signe the petition.

The orginizers are at the meeting venue together with other NGOs to fight against whale hunting.

To sign the petition follow this slink

It's an international issue, Thailand included.

I just signed.

I find it sickening that they continue whale hunting esp under so called research, what BS

It's rally sad to see that I haven't seen any Thai National to sign the petition agains whale hunting.

So far 1,206,515 peole have signe the petition.

The orginizers are at the meeting venue together with other NGOs to fight against whale hunting.

To sign the petition follow this slink

It's an international issue, Thailand included.

I just signed.

I find it sickening that they continue whale hunting esp under so called research, what BS

Thanks for your action.

To all others, please join too.

signed