On Behalf Of Whales
Cobblestone American History Magazine for Kids|September 2017

Meet WDC’s Regina Asmutis-silvia

Kathiann M. Kowalski
On Behalf Of Whales

“WDC” stands for “Whale and Dolphin Conservation.”

The group sponsors research on conservation. It also pushes for policy changes to protect whales and dolphins. 

To learn more, COBBLESTONE spoke with Regina Asmutis-Silvia (RIGHT), executive director of WDC’s North American office in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Why is whale conservation work important?

Whales help to sustain our ocean. They help to sustain our oxygen.

How do whales do that?

Because of the pressure on their bodies, whales can’t “go to the bathroom” on the [ocean] bottom. They can only do it at the surface. When they come up, whales literally fertilize this entire floating layer of phytoplankton. Like plants on land, phytoplankton photosynthesize. This is the base of the food chain. And because of photosynthesis, the phytoplankton in the ocean produce at least half our oxygen. And so, because whales pee and poop, you get every other breath you take. And whales are taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

This story is from the September 2017 edition of Cobblestone American History Magazine for Kids.

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This story is from the September 2017 edition of Cobblestone American History Magazine for Kids.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

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