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In the 1600s, there were so many[br]right whales in Cape Cod Bay

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off the east coast of the U.S.

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that apparently you could[br]walk across their backs

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from one end of the bay to the other.

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Today, they number in the hundreds,

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and they're endangered.

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Like them, many species of whales

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saw their numbers drastically reduced

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by 200 years of whaling,

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where they were hunted and killed

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for their whale meat, oil, and whale bone.

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We only have whales in our waters today

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because of the Save The Whales[br]movement of the '70s.

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It was instrumental in stopping

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commercial whaling,

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and was built on the idea that[br]if we couldn't save whales,

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what could we save?

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It was ultimately a test[br]of our political ability

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to halt environmental destruction.

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So in the early '80s, there was[br]a ban on commercial whaling

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that came into force[br]as a result of this campaign.

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Whales in our waters are still[br]low in numbers, however,

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because they do face a range[br]of other human-induced threats.

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Unfortunately, many people still think

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that whale conservationists like myself

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do what we do only because these creatures

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are charismatic and beautiful.

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This is actually a disservice,

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because whales are ecosystem engineers.

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They help maintain the stability[br]and health of the oceans,

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and even provide services[br]to human society.

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So let's talk about why[br]saving whales is critical

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to the resiliency of the oceans.

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It boils down to two main things:

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whale poop and rotting carcasses.

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As whales dive to the depth to feed

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and come up to the service to breathe,

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they actually release these[br]enormous fecal plumes.

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This whale pump, as it's called,

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actually brings essential[br]limiting nutrients

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from the depths to the surface waters

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where they stimulate[br]the growth of phytoplankton

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that forms the base[br]of all marine food chains.

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So really, having more whales[br]in the oceans pooping

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is really beneficial[br]to the entire ecosystem.

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Whales are also known to undertake

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some of the longest[br]migrations of all mammals.

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Grey whales off America

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migrate 16,000 kilometers

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between productive feeding areas

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and less productive calving,[br]or birthing, areas

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and back every year.

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As they do so, they transport

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fertilizer in the form of their feces

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from places that have it[br]to places that need it.

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So clearly, whales are really[br]important in nutrient cycling,

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both horizontally and vertically,

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through the oceans.

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But what's really cool is that[br]they're also really important

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after they're dead.

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Whale carcasses are some of the largest

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form of detritus to fall[br]from the ocean's surface,

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and they're called whale fall.

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As these carcasses sink,

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they provide a feast[br]to some 400-odd species

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include the eel-shaped,[br]slime-producing hagfish.

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So over the 200 years of whaling,

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when we were busy killing and removing[br]these carcasses from the oceans,

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we likely altered the rate[br]and geographic distribution

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of these whale falls that would[br]descend into deep oceans,

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and as a result, probably led[br]to a number of extinctions

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of species that were most specialized

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and dependent on these carcasses

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for their survival.

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Whale carcasses are also known

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to transport about 190,000 tons of carbon,

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which is the equivalent of that produced

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by 80,000 cars per year

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from the atmosphere to the deep oceans,

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and the deep oceans[br]are what we call "carbon sinks,"

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because they trap and hold[br]excess carbon from the atmosphere,

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and therefore help[br]to delay global warming.

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Sometimes these carcasses[br]also wash up on beaches

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and provide a meal to a number[br]of predatory species on land.

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The 200 years of whaling

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was clearly detrimental

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and caused a reduction[br]in the populations of whales

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between 60 to 90 percent.

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Clearly, the Save The Whales movement

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was instrumental in preventing[br]commercial whaling from going on,

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but we need to revise this.

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We need to address the more modern,[br]pressing problem these whales face

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in our waters today.

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Amongst other things, we need to stop them

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from getting plowed down[br]by container ships

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when they're in their feeding areas,

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and stop them from getting[br]entangled in fishing nets

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as they float around in the ocean.

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We also need to learn to contextualize

0:05:05.349,0:05:07.253
our conservation messages,

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so people really understand

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the true ecosystem value[br]of these creatures.

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So, let's save the whales again,

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but this time, let's not just[br]do it for their sake.

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Let's also do it for ours.

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Thank you.

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(Applause)