Migrating baleen whales transport high-latitude nutrients to tropical and subtropical ecosystems.

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Hauptverfasser: Roman, Joe, Abraham, Andrew J, Kiszka, Jeremy J, Costa, Daniel P, Doughty, Christopher E, Friedlaender, Ari, Hückstädt, Luis A, Marcondes, Milton, Wetsel, Emma, Pershing, Andrew J
Format: Artículo científico
Sprache:en
Veröffentlicht: Nature communications 2025
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author Roman, Joe
Abraham, Andrew J
Kiszka, Jeremy J
Costa, Daniel P
Doughty, Christopher E
Friedlaender, Ari
Hückstädt, Luis A
Marcondes, Milton
Wetsel, Emma
Pershing, Andrew J
author_facet Roman, Joe
Abraham, Andrew J
Kiszka, Jeremy J
Costa, Daniel P
Doughty, Christopher E
Friedlaender, Ari
Hückstädt, Luis A
Marcondes, Milton
Wetsel, Emma
Pershing, Andrew J
Roman, Joe
Abraham, Andrew J
Kiszka, Jeremy J
Costa, Daniel P
Doughty, Christopher E
Friedlaender, Ari
Hückstädt, Luis A
Marcondes, Milton
Wetsel, Emma
Pershing, Andrew J
collection PubMed - marine biology
contents Migrating baleen whales transport high-latitude nutrients to tropical and subtropical ecosystems. Roman, Joe Abraham, Andrew J Kiszka, Jeremy J Costa, Daniel P Doughty, Christopher E Friedlaender, Ari Hückstädt, Luis A Marcondes, Milton Wetsel, Emma Pershing, Andrew J Animals Ecosystem Whales Animal Migration Tropical Climate Nutrients Seasons Nitrogen Biomass Oceans and Seas Female Urea Baleen whales migrate from productive high-latitude feeding grounds to usually oligotrophic tropical and subtropical reproductive winter grounds, translocating limiting nutrients across ecosystem boundaries in their bodies. Here, we estimate the latitudinal movement of nutrients through carcasses, placentas, and urea for four species of baleen whales that exhibit clear annual migration, relying on spatial data from publicly available databases, present and past populations, and measurements of protein catabolism and other sources of nitrogen from baleen whales and other marine mammals. Migrating gray, humpback, and North Atlantic and southern right whales convey an estimated 3784 tons N yr and 46,512 tons of biomass yr to winter grounds, a flux also known as the "great whale conveyor belt"; these numbers might have been three times higher before commercial whaling. We discuss how species recovery might help restore nutrient movement by whales in global oceans and increase the resilience and adaptative capacity of recipient ecosystems.
format Artículo científico
id pubmed_40064850
institution PubMed
language en
publishDate 2025
publisher Nature communications
record_format pubmed
spellingShingle Migrating baleen whales transport high-latitude nutrients to tropical and subtropical ecosystems.
Roman, Joe
Abraham, Andrew J
Kiszka, Jeremy J
Costa, Daniel P
Doughty, Christopher E
Friedlaender, Ari
Hückstädt, Luis A
Marcondes, Milton
Wetsel, Emma
Pershing, Andrew J
Animals
Ecosystem
Whales
Animal Migration
Tropical Climate
Nutrients
Seasons
Nitrogen
Biomass
Oceans and Seas
Female
Urea
Migrating baleen whales transport high-latitude nutrients to tropical and subtropical ecosystems. Roman, Joe Abraham, Andrew J Kiszka, Jeremy J Costa, Daniel P Doughty, Christopher E Friedlaender, Ari Hückstädt, Luis A Marcondes, Milton Wetsel, Emma Pershing, Andrew J Animals Ecosystem Whales Animal Migration Tropical Climate Nutrients Seasons Nitrogen Biomass Oceans and Seas Female Urea Baleen whales migrate from productive high-latitude feeding grounds to usually oligotrophic tropical and subtropical reproductive winter grounds, translocating limiting nutrients across ecosystem boundaries in their bodies. Here, we estimate the latitudinal movement of nutrients through carcasses, placentas, and urea for four species of baleen whales that exhibit clear annual migration, relying on spatial data from publicly available databases, present and past populations, and measurements of protein catabolism and other sources of nitrogen from baleen whales and other marine mammals. Migrating gray, humpback, and North Atlantic and southern right whales convey an estimated 3784 tons N yr and 46,512 tons of biomass yr to winter grounds, a flux also known as the "great whale conveyor belt"; these numbers might have been three times higher before commercial whaling. We discuss how species recovery might help restore nutrient movement by whales in global oceans and increase the resilience and adaptative capacity of recipient ecosystems.
title Migrating baleen whales transport high-latitude nutrients to tropical and subtropical ecosystems.
topic Animals
Ecosystem
Whales
Animal Migration
Tropical Climate
Nutrients
Seasons
Nitrogen
Biomass
Oceans and Seas
Female
Urea
url https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40064850/