A humpback whale urinating near Hawaii. Credit: Lars Bejder/NOAA Scientists have long understood that microbes, zooplankton, and fish are vital sources of recycled nitrogen in coastal waters.

For too long, Humpback whales' urinary contributions to the ocean have been overlooked. Photograph By Martin Van Aswegen, NOAA Permit 21476 In the deep blue water, a one-month-old humpback whale ...

Whales transport vital nutrients from urine, placentas, carcasses and sloughing skin across oceans that help to keep marine ecosystems healthy, a study has revealed. Researchers found that these ...

The incessant industrial whaling of the 19th and 20th centuries had a drastic effect on the whales’ natural transport system of nutrients.

In the summer, adult whales feed at high latitudes (like Alaska, Iceland, and Antarctica), putting on tons of fat, chowing down on krill and herring. According to recent research, North Pacific ...

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) calf off Moorea, French Polynesia. Credit: Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 Whales do more than simply glide through the ocean—they play a vital role in ...

Whales are huge, long-lived mammals. The blue whale is the largest animal that’s ever lived on Earth — it is bigger than the dinosaurs. It can live an estimated 80 to 90 years! The bowhead whale, a ...