EPISODE · Jun 2, 2026 · 7 MIN
Is this the most treasured thing in the ocean? - David Biello
from TED-Ed · host TED-Ed
Dig into what makes whale poop so vitally important to ocean health, and how it helps support countless other marine life forms.--Whales frequently surface to take in air and let out massive plumes of waste. And while this slurry might seem disgusting, whale poop is much more desirable than it may seem. In fact, it may be one of the most important substances in the ocean — and the world. So, what makes whale poop so vital to our ecosystems? David Biello shares the surprising benefits of whale excrement.Lesson by David Biello, directed by Joseph Clark, Oh Studio.This video made possible in collaboration with Speed & ScaleLearn more about how TED-Ed partnerships work: https://bit.ly/TEDEdPartnerSupport Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/is-this-the-most-valuable-thing-in-the-ocean-david-bielloDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/is-this-the-most-valuable-thing-in-the-ocean-david-biello/digdeeperAnimator's website: https://www.ohstudio.co.ukMusic: https://soundgoods.tv----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Jennifer Heald, Megulo Abebe, isolwi, Kate Sem, Ujjwal Dasu, Angel Alberici, Minh Quan Dinh, Sylvain, Terran Gimpel, Talia Sari, Katie McDowell, Allen, Mahina Knuckles, Charmaine Hanson, Thawsitt, Jezabel, Abdullah Abdulaziz, Xiao Yu, Melissa Suarez, Brian A. Dunn, Francisco Amaya, Daisuke Goto, Matt Switzler, Peng, Tzu-Hsiang, Bethany Connor, Jeremy Shimanek, Mark Byers, Avinash Amarnath, Xuebicoco, Rayo, Po Foon Kwong, Boffin, Jesse Jurman, Scott Markley, Elija Peterson, Ovidiu Mrd, paul g mohney, Steven Razey, Nathan Giusti, Helen Lee, Anthony Benedict, Karthik Balsubramanian, Annastasshia Ames, Amy Lopez, Vinh-Thuy Nguyen, Liz Candee, Ugur Doga Sezgin, Karmi Nguyen, John C. Vesey and Yelena Baykova. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What this episode covers
Dig into what makes whale poop so vitally important to ocean health, and how it helps support countless other marine life forms.--Whales frequently surface to take in air and let out massive plumes of waste. And while this slurry might seem disgusting, whale poop is much more desirable than it may seem. In fact, it may be one of the most important substances in the ocean — and the world. So, what makes whale poop so vital to our ecosystems? David Biello shares the surprising benefits of whale excrement.Lesson by David Biello, directed by Joseph Clark, Oh Studio.This video made possible in collaboration with Speed & ScaleLearn more about how TED-Ed partnerships work: https://bit.ly/TEDEdPartnerSupport Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/is-this-the-most-valuable-thing-in-the-ocean-david-bielloDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/is-this-the-most-valuable-thing-in-the-ocean-david-biello/digdeeperAnimator's website: https://www.ohstudio.co.ukMusic: https://soundgoods.tv----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Jennifer Heald, Megulo Abebe, isolwi, Kate Sem, Ujjwal Dasu, Angel Alberici, Minh Quan Dinh, Sylvain, Terran Gimpel, Talia Sari, Katie McDowell, Allen, Mahina Knuckles, Charmaine Hanson, Thawsitt, Jezabel, Abdullah Abdulaziz, Xiao Yu, Melissa Suarez, Brian A. Dunn, Francisco Amaya, Daisuke Goto, Matt Switzler, Peng, Tzu-Hsiang, Bethany Connor, Jeremy Shimanek, Mark Byers, Avinash Amarnath, Xuebicoco, Rayo, Po Foon Kwong, Boffin, Jesse Jurman, Scott Markley, Elija Peterson, Ovidiu Mrd, paul g mohney, Steven Razey, Nathan Giusti, Helen Lee, Anthony Benedict, Karthik Balsubramanian, Annastasshia Ames, Amy Lopez, Vinh-Thuy Nguyen, Liz Candee, Ugur Doga Sezgin, Karmi Nguyen, John C. Vesey and Yelena Baykova. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Is this the most treasured thing in the ocean? - David Biello
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