Takeaways from the “Seaspiracy” Documentary and the Critical Role Dolphins and Whales Play in the Ocean Ecosystem
You probably think that Dolphins and whales are majestic animals. They are beautiful creatures, but they have a much bigger role than simply looking amazing from the outside. If whales and dolphins didn’t exist or went extinct, then the Earth would most likely fade out of existence. I recently saw a Documentary called, “SeaSpiracy”. It really helped open my eyes to the world of dolphins and whales. This documentary came out in 2021 and was directed by Ali Tabrizi.
The documentary explained that when dolphins and whales come up to breathe, they actually fertilize phytoplankton. Phytoplankton is a kind of plant that lives in the ocean’s water where sunlight reaches. Phytoplankton is very similar to land plants, like land plants phytoplankton needs sunlight, water, carbon dioxide, and nutrients to survive. Phytoplankton absorbs up to four times the amount the Amazon Rain forest does, which means it is a vital part of the ocean ecosystem. Phytoplankton also gives about 85% of oxygen to the Earth. Therefore, the phytoplankton is able to sustain all the bigger living organisms residing in the sea.
In addition, you shouldn’t count out whales when it comes to oxygen production in the sea. Whales actually provide about 50% of the oxygen you breathe. Whales also help fight climate change and help balance out fish stocks. They do all of this by giving nutrients to phytoplankton. Whale waste helps fertilize the phytoplankton. The phytoplankton is able to help combat climate change through oxygen production and reduction of carbon dioxide. Phytoplankton takes in “hundreds of thousand tons of carbon dioxide” every year. If whales didn’t exist then phytoplankton would have a harder time thriving.
Whales and dolphins are also recognized as predators and ecosystem engineers. Many dolphins and whales reside near the coast of South Africa. An unintentional research discovery off the coast of South Africa’s Kwa-Zulu Natal helped highlight important information on the critical role dolphins play in the ocean ecosystem. The information revealed that the impacts of pollution such as pollution levels, parasites, and the possibility of being the prey constantly put stress on the dolphin population. Understanding the health of the world’s dolphins is extremely important to ensure a healthy dolphin population. Knowing the average health of the dolphins and whales is important because by knowing their health you can accurately monitor the health of oceans.
Dolphins and whales are extremely helpful for the environment and are amazing creatures. However, they are endangered and at the rate, they are dying, they will go extinct in the near future. Whaling was banned internationally in 1986. However, the ban did not faze certain countries and there are still countries that continue whaling without other countries knowing. Hundreds of whales and dolphins are killed every year due to deliberate slaughter. Additionally, countless whales and dolphins are killed by plastic pollution in the ocean. Truckloads of plastic and trash are getting dumped into the ocean every single minute. The plastic floats at the top then gradually start to break down into smaller pieces. When the plastic breaks down enough then it turns into microplastics. Currently, there are 500 times more microplastics in the ocean than there are stars in the Milky Way.
It is essential that more attention and awareness be brought to the critical problems the whale and dolphin populations are facing. Without proper action, it is inevitable that the whale and dolphin populations go extinct. Like I mentioned previously in this article, without whales and dolphins, the ocean ecosystem is at high risk. We must take part in conservation efforts and bring the growing issues impacting the whale and dolphin populations to light in order to combat the declining populations.
Kyle Lee (kylelee.earthminions@gmail.com) is a rising 6th-grade student entering Thomas Viaduct Middle School. He loves to learn about ecosystems and he enjoys being with animals. He is passionate about animal conservation and climate change. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, hiking, and playing with his cats. (Elkridge, MD)
