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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,[br]and they're endangered.

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Like them, many species of whales[br]saw their numbers drastically reduced

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by 200 years of whaling,

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where they were hunted and killed[br]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[br]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[br]that whale conservationists like myself

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do what we do only because these creatures[br]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 depths to feed[br]and come up to the surface 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,[br]

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actually brings essential limiting [br]nutrients from the depths

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to the surface waters where they [br]stimulate the growth of phytoplankton,

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

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Gray whales off America[br]migrate 16,000 kilometers

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

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and back every year.

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As they do so, they transport fertilizer[br]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,[br]through the oceans.

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

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Whale carcasses are some of [br]the largest form of detritus

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to fall from the ocean's surface, [br]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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including the eel-shaped, slime-producing [br]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 and geographic [br]distribution of these whale falls

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that would 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[br]for their survival.

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Whale carcasses are also known[br]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[br]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 problems that 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 by container [br]ships 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[br]our conservation messages,

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so people really understand the true [br]ecosystem value 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)