Wave's knowledge:
Krill consistst of very small animals that live in the sea. They are usually no bigger than your index finger. Yet they are important for life underwater.
Dive into the Seamulation! Determine how much whale poo ends up in the sea and save our planet from climate change. How? Whale poo stimulates phytoplankton to absorb CO2. Exactly what we and our planet need! Operate the buttons, check your meters and discover how you have influenced climate change.
If you opt for fewer nets lost at sea, this will result in a decrease in whale mortality.
If you opt for less plastic waste in the sea, this will result in more whales at sea.
If you opt for a reduction of fishing boats, this will result in a reduction of bycatch.
If you opt for fewer cargo ships, this will result in more whales.
If you opt to stop whaling, this will result in more whales.
If you opt for more nets lost at sea, this will result in fewer whales.
If you opt for more plastic waste, this will result in more dead whales.
If you opt for more fishing boats, this will result in more bycatch.
If you opt for more cargo ships, this will result in more whale-ship collisions and therefore fewer whales.
If you opt for more whaling, this will result in a decrease of whale numbers.
You can also see the consequences of your actions by looking at their effects on atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) levels. These can be seen in the meters at the top of your screen.
All life on earth is made up of carbon, including you! The bigger you are, the more carbon you store. And, that stored carbon in your body is therefore no longer present in the atmosphere as the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Great! A whale can store a lot of carbon beacuse of its enormous size. Since whales live for a very long time – some species for as long as 200 years – the carbon is also safely stored for a long time.
Without oxygen, life on earth is impossible. Plants produce oxygen by the process of photosynthesis. This conversion of carbon dioxide to oxygen also occurs in phytoplankton in the sea. Every second breath that you take is possible because of this phytoplankton!
Climate change occurs as a result of too much carbon dioxide in the air: the greenhouse effect. That is not good for humans or for animals! The sea absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen in return. Whales have a huge role in this process. Whales switch on the carbon dioxide-oxygen pump of the sea. But what if whales disappear? Or increase? And what influence do ghost nets have? Or container ships? Explore all these factors interactively in the Seamulation! What would you do?
Later, in the final page, you’ll see the economic value of whales on earth.
Ready to dive into the Whale Poo Seamulation?
The purpose of the Whale Poo Seamulation is to let you experience the role whales play for all of us, but also to learn about what threatens whales and how important it is to protect them.
Krill consistst of very small animals that live in the sea. They are usually no bigger than your index finger. Yet they are important for life underwater.