Whale Poop

When I saw the title of this video, I thought, "This must be about ambergris." Ambergris is a waxy substance produced in the gut of a sperm whale that was once used to make perfumes, preservatives, and medicines, and it was rare and expensive. But this TED-Ed video is not about ambergris at all, just whale poop. You might think of a huge whale dump would be an ocean pollutant, but nature knows better. Whales do the ocean a solid by pooping at the surface, and then leaving the area to eat. That's only natural, but it also fuels the way the marine ecosystem works. Many species, including whales, have evolved to take advantage of cycle. If we remove even one part of this system, the delicate balance of nature could falter and maybe even fail. David Biello explains the value of whale excreta, even when it's just poop.