Organic ligands in whale excrement support iron availability and reduce copper toxicity to the surface ocean
Abstract Nutrient recycling by marine megafauna is a key ecosystem service that has been disturbed by anthropogenic activity. While some hypotheses attribute Southern Ocean ecosystem restructuring to disruptions in micronutrient cycling after the elimination of two million great whales, there is lit...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01965-9 |
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| author | Patrick J. Monreal Matthew S. Savoca Lydia Babcock-Adams Laura E. Moore Angel Ruacho Dylan Hull Logan J. Pallin Ross C. Nichols John Calambokidis Joseph A. Resing Ari S. Friedlaender Jeremy Goldbogen Randelle M. Bundy |
| author_facet | Patrick J. Monreal Matthew S. Savoca Lydia Babcock-Adams Laura E. Moore Angel Ruacho Dylan Hull Logan J. Pallin Ross C. Nichols John Calambokidis Joseph A. Resing Ari S. Friedlaender Jeremy Goldbogen Randelle M. Bundy |
| author_sort | Patrick J. Monreal |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Nutrient recycling by marine megafauna is a key ecosystem service that has been disturbed by anthropogenic activity. While some hypotheses attribute Southern Ocean ecosystem restructuring to disruptions in micronutrient cycling after the elimination of two million great whales, there is little knowledge of trace metal lability in whale excrement. Here we measured high concentrations of dissolved iron and copper in five baleen whale fecal samples and characterized micromolar levels of organic metal-binding ligands as a proxy for their availability. The iron-ligand pool consisted of weakly-binding ligands and intermediate-binding ligands which enhanced iron stability and potential bioavailability. In comparison, 47 novel strongly-binding metallophores dominated copper-binding, curtailing its potential toxicity. These results illustrate how marine megafauna transform prey biomass into highly-labile micronutrients that they inject directly into the surface ocean, a mechanism whaling reduced by over 90%. Thus, the rapid restructuring of pelagic ecosystems through overharvesting may cause large biogeochemical feedbacks, altering primary productivity and carbon sequestration processes in the ocean. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5af8c1eaf3024186b6ec4446cb5d7427 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-5af8c1eaf3024186b6ec4446cb5d74272025-01-12T12:41:05ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352025-01-016111410.1038/s43247-024-01965-9Organic ligands in whale excrement support iron availability and reduce copper toxicity to the surface oceanPatrick J. Monreal0Matthew S. Savoca1Lydia Babcock-Adams2Laura E. Moore3Angel Ruacho4Dylan Hull5Logan J. Pallin6Ross C. Nichols7John Calambokidis8Joseph A. Resing9Ari S. Friedlaender10Jeremy Goldbogen11Randelle M. Bundy12School of Oceanography, University of WashingtonHopkins Marine Station, Stanford UniversityNational High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State UniversitySchool of Oceanography, University of WashingtonSchool of Oceanography, University of WashingtonSchool of Oceanography, University of WashingtonDepartment of Ocean Sciences and Institute for Marine Science, University of California Santa CruzDepartment of Ocean Sciences and Institute for Marine Science, University of California Santa CruzCascadia Research CollectiveSchool of Oceanography, University of WashingtonDepartment of Ocean Sciences and Institute for Marine Science, University of California Santa CruzHopkins Marine Station, Stanford UniversitySchool of Oceanography, University of WashingtonAbstract Nutrient recycling by marine megafauna is a key ecosystem service that has been disturbed by anthropogenic activity. While some hypotheses attribute Southern Ocean ecosystem restructuring to disruptions in micronutrient cycling after the elimination of two million great whales, there is little knowledge of trace metal lability in whale excrement. Here we measured high concentrations of dissolved iron and copper in five baleen whale fecal samples and characterized micromolar levels of organic metal-binding ligands as a proxy for their availability. The iron-ligand pool consisted of weakly-binding ligands and intermediate-binding ligands which enhanced iron stability and potential bioavailability. In comparison, 47 novel strongly-binding metallophores dominated copper-binding, curtailing its potential toxicity. These results illustrate how marine megafauna transform prey biomass into highly-labile micronutrients that they inject directly into the surface ocean, a mechanism whaling reduced by over 90%. Thus, the rapid restructuring of pelagic ecosystems through overharvesting may cause large biogeochemical feedbacks, altering primary productivity and carbon sequestration processes in the ocean.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01965-9 |
| spellingShingle | Patrick J. Monreal Matthew S. Savoca Lydia Babcock-Adams Laura E. Moore Angel Ruacho Dylan Hull Logan J. Pallin Ross C. Nichols John Calambokidis Joseph A. Resing Ari S. Friedlaender Jeremy Goldbogen Randelle M. Bundy Organic ligands in whale excrement support iron availability and reduce copper toxicity to the surface ocean Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Organic ligands in whale excrement support iron availability and reduce copper toxicity to the surface ocean |
| title_full | Organic ligands in whale excrement support iron availability and reduce copper toxicity to the surface ocean |
| title_fullStr | Organic ligands in whale excrement support iron availability and reduce copper toxicity to the surface ocean |
| title_full_unstemmed | Organic ligands in whale excrement support iron availability and reduce copper toxicity to the surface ocean |
| title_short | Organic ligands in whale excrement support iron availability and reduce copper toxicity to the surface ocean |
| title_sort | organic ligands in whale excrement support iron availability and reduce copper toxicity to the surface ocean |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01965-9 |
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