This Week in Science – The Kickass Science Podcast · Dr. Kirsten Sanford Science Media

TWISoween 2025

·38 min·1 clip

Whale conservation isn't just about the whales eating - it's about the nutrients their poop delivers to ocean ecosystems.

This Week in Science (TWIS) Episode 1035, recorded October 29, 2025, is the annual TWISoween episode, presented solo by Blair Bazdrich while Dr. Kiki is traveling and Justin is working. Blair dedicates the full episode to an all-Animal Corner format with a Halloween-adjacent framing. The first story concerns whale feces and its role in marine ecosystem health. Blair explains that while environmentalism has long focused on whales as charismatic megafauna, a newer area of concern is what happens to ocean nutrient cycling when whale populations decline. Whales consume large quantities of other organisms, migrate extensively, and defecate near the ocean surface, releasing nitrogen and phosphorus back into the water column in bioavailable form. This fertilizes phytoplankton—the primary producers at the base of the marine food web—which in turn supports the entire food chain. Blair explains the cascade: reduced whale populations mean reduced nutrient recycling, reduced phytoplankton growth, and reduced productivity throughout the marine ecosystem, with implications for carbon sequestration as well. The story draws a parallel to land ecosystems where plant matter decomposes to fertilize soil, noting that whales function as a kind of living nutrient pump across ocean depths and latitudes. The second story involves rats versus bats in what Blair frames as a spooky Halloween-appropriate comparison, covering behavioral or cognitive research comparing these two groups. The third story concerns wildlife movement corridors—elevated structures or connected habitat pathways—that allow animals to move through fragmented landscapes. Blair frames these as walkways in the sky. The episode’s tone is playful, science-enthusiast-facing, and slightly over-caffeinated from Blair’s solo energy. It suits listeners who enjoy animal biology, ecology, and conservation presented with genuine curiosity and a sense of fun.

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