OCEAN DEFENDERS ALLIANCE

OCNONPROFITCENTRAL : OCEAN DEFENDERS ALLIANCE

This looks like a great one!

Excerpt: In 23 years, ODA has performed just under 600 ocean cleanups in 7 different counties of California and Hawai'i. The debris that has been removed from harm's way includes:

Plastics: over 84 tons (168,000 pounds)
Traps: 540
Trap lines that entangle whales: 51,000 feet
Fishing line: 293,000 feet
Nets: 49,000 pounds
Misc Debris: 139,000 pounds
Lead fishing weights: 11,500 pounds

And so much more! Marine wildlife and their habitats are safer without this hazardous debris.

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Ocean Defenders Alliance (ODA) began protecting California's ocean ecosystems and wildlife in 2000. We are the longest running nonprofit focused solely on removal of dangerous man-made fishing gear from the coastal waters of California.  Since then, and because of the help of our many wonderful volunteers, we have removed vast amounts of trap-line and net that too often entangle whales, dolphins, and sea lions. We have also recovered hundreds of abandoned lobster traps and many tons of other debris that was threatening marine life. The result for sea life is simple: ODA's work has saved hundreds of thousands of animals from unnecessary and horrific death (most often drowning or starvation).  The world's oceans are in serious decline, primarily due to human abuse and neglect--but there is cause for hope! Working together with respect and focus, we will increase our already positive impact.  Please help us ensure healthy oceans for future generations. The time to act is NOW! Come join us!

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A WHALE DIES IN THE OCEAN ? : WHALE FALL - NOURISHING AN ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM : UK : WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WHALES DIE 

Excerpt:

Whale carcasses take decades to fully decompose and can provide food for an entire ecosystem on the dark depths of the ocean floor. ...Decay sets in soon after the death of a whale, as the insides begin to decompose. The animal then expands with gas and sometimes floats up to the ocean's surface, where it can be scavenged by sharks and seabirds.

Eventually the ocean giant will begin to sink, falling kilometre after kilometre, until finally coming to rest on the seabed. This is when the carcass becomes known as a whale fall.

Whale falls can nourish an entire ecosystem of deep-sea creatures, from large scavengers to microscopic bacteria. They provide inhabitants of the mostly deserted ocean floor with a sudden and immense source of food...

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