Listening: Why whale poop matters to the ocean

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B2 | Listening from video | 12 min

Watch the video (0:07 - 5:15). You can watch more than once, then answer the questions.

What did newspapers report about James Bartley in 1891?

____ He had found a rare whale on a long voyage.____ He had lived inside a whale for a day and a half before being rescued.____ He had escaped from a whale by swimming away.

ONE WORD from the video.

A person who somehow survived being swallowed might escape when the whale takes a ____ break.

Why are phytoplankton found almost everywhere near the ocean surface?

____ Surface waters have plenty of the resources they need.____ They can swim to wherever the water is warmest.____ Whales carry them to every part of the ocean.

Phytoplankton blooms are too small to be seen from space.

____ True____ False____ Not Given

A NUMBER from the video.

A blue whale can eat up to ____ tons of krill in one day.

How do whales help the ocean's surface, according to the speaker?

____ They push cold water down to the seabed.____ They bring iron up from deeper water like a living pump.____ They break up large blooms of phytoplankton.

Phytoplankton grow faster in cold water than in warm water.

____ True____ False____ Not Given

A NUMBER from the video.

A 1% rise in phytoplankton would capture as much carbon as ____ billion fully grown trees.

What can happen to the body of a whale that dies a natural death?

____ It is eaten quickly by other whales.____ It floats on the surface and releases carbon.____ It stores carbon on the seabed and supports an ecosystem.

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