“Beyond urine, whale carcasses also serve as nutrient deposits. When a whale dies, its massive body sinks to the ocean floor, creating a ‘whale fall’ — an event that supports entire deep-sea communities. Scavengers like sharks, hagfish, and deep-sea invertebrates feast on the remains, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.”

“One big difference is that whales are often traveling thousands of miles across ocean basins–great whales undertake the longest migration of any mammal,” says Roman. “So they connect areas close to the poles to tropical areas that are often nutrient-limited.”