Whale droppings have emerged as a natural ocean fertilizer which could help combat global warming by allowing the Southern Ocean to absorb more carbon dioxide, Australian scientists have found. New research from the Australian Antarctic Division suggests whales naturally fertilize surface waters with iron-rich whale excrement, allowing the whole ecosystem to send more carbon down into deep waters. “The plants love it and it actually becomes a way of taking carbon out of the atmosphere,” Antarctic scientist Steve Nicol told Reuters, adding the droppings appear as a plume of solids and liquids.

Askin, P. (2010, April 30-May 1). Whale poo could help seas absorb CO2, say scientists. BusinessWorld, p. S3/9.