Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sebastian Boeckmann, Florian Koch, Bettina Meyer, Franziska Pausch, Morten Iversen, Ryan Driscoll, Luis Miguel Laglera, Christel Hassler, Scarlett Trimborn
Summary: This study found that in the Southern Ocean, iron released from fecal pellets of salps is more bioavailable to phytoplankton compared to krill fecal pellets, potentially strengthening future iron utilization in the region. This shift may have negative impacts on the ecosystem and climate change in the Southern Ocean.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elena Schall, Divna Djokic, Erin C. Ross-Marsh, Javier Ona, Judith Denkinger, Julio Ernesto Baumgarten, Linilson Rodrigues Padovese, Marcos R. Rossi-Santos, Maria Isabel Carvalho Goncalves, Renata Sousa-Lima, Rodrigo Hucke-Gaete, Simon Elwen, Susannah Buchan, Tess Gridley, Ilse Van Opzeeland
Summary: The Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean attracts migratory baleen whale species due to its high density of Antarctic krill. Humpback whales sing extensively while feeding in this area, and comparative song analyses suggest that individuals from at least three breeding populations migrate to shared feeding grounds in the Southern Ocean. The area is important for cultural and genetic exchange between populations.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Oceanography
Francisco Santa Cruz, Lucas Kruger, Cesar A. Cardenas
Summary: The rapid climate changes along the Western Antarctic Peninsula and the increasing seasonal catches reported by the krill fishery have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the management strategy in avoiding impacts on the krill stock and related ecosystem. An analysis of 38 years of data showed that the fishing concentration levels have reached the highest historical levels across the WAP and South Orkney Islands, with higher seasonal catches being the key driver of this situation.
OCEAN & COASTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
David B. Green, Sophie Bestley, Stuart P. Corney, Rowan Trebilco, Patrick Lehodey, Mark A. Hindell
Summary: The study identified high-quality spawning habitats of Antarctic krill in small-scale management units (SSMUs) around the Antarctic Peninsula, with low coverage in other regions reliant on external sources for population. Fishing in key spawning areas may have downstream impacts on management of SSMUs and the krill fishery.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Fisheries
B. Merkel, P. Trathan, S. Thorpe, E. J. Murphy, H. Pehlke, K. Teschke, G. P. Griffith
Summary: Antarctic krill and Ice krill are important species in the Southern Ocean marine ecosystems. To better understand their habitat distribution, we used multiple habitat models and updated environmental factors to estimate their circumpolar habitat in the austral summer. Our results show that Antarctic krill mainly inhabit the open ocean in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean, while Ice krill are more evenly distributed around the continent, primarily over the continental shelf. This information enhances our understanding of these key species and can inform sustainable management practices.
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Valentina V. Kasyan
Summary: The Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, is a key species in the Antarctic marine food web, and its larvae distribution is influenced by environmental factors such as sea surface temperature and chlorophyll a concentration. This study identified four communities of krill larvae at different developmental stages, with different distributions in the Bransfield Strait and off the South Orkney Islands. The findings provide valuable insights into the age structure and spatial patterns of E. superba larvae in these regions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nora-Charlotte Pauli, Clara M. Flintrop, Christian Konrad, Evgeny A. Pakhomov, Steffen Swoboda, Florian Koch, Xin-Liang Wang, Ji-Chang Zhang, Andrew S. Brierley, Matteo Bernasconi, Bettina Meyer, Morten H. Iversen
Summary: The study found that although salps produce 4 times more carbon fecal pellets than krill, both species contribute equally to carbon flux at 300 meters depth, accounting for 75% of total carbon. While 72% of krill fecal pellets are exported to 300 meters depth, 80% of salp fecal pellets are retained in the mixed layer due to fragmentation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
George R. Cutter, Christian S. Reiss, Sven Nylund, George M. Watters
Summary: We deployed an integrated echosounder-ADCP system on the continental shelf of the northern Antarctic Peninsula to classify Antarctic krill, estimate water flow and biomass, and quantify krill flux. The results demonstrate the utility of this system for evaluating the flux of krill in the study area.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rebecca Trinh, Hugh W. Ducklow, Deborah K. Steinberg, William R. Fraser
Summary: Antarctic krill body size and life-history cycle have dominant control on the export of particulate organic carbon (POC) in the West Antarctic Peninsula. Changes in krill population and faecal pellet export patterns may alter ocean carbon storage.
Article
Zoology
Katharina Michael, Lavinia A. Suberg, Wiebke Wessels, So Kawaguchi, Bettina Meyer
Summary: Through a long-term laboratory experiment, it was found that Antarctic krill exhibit changes in oxygen consumption and body size in response to increased water temperatures, with higher temperatures leading to increased oxygen consumption and smaller body sizes. These findings suggest that warming Southern Ocean waters may have a significant impact on krill metabolic rate and overall population dynamics.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Karin Kvale, Claire Hunt, Aidan James, Wolfgang Koeve
Summary: Microplastics, due to their small size, can be ingested by phytoplankton and zooplankton, impacting their sinking rates and subsequently affecting marine ecosystems and carbon uptake. This study used a complex model to analyze the effects of microplastics and found that the slowing of sinking rates reduces ocean carbon uptake and has significant impacts on ecosystems regionally. Plastics carbon has a much greater impact on marine ecosystems than atmospheric carbon over a centennial timescale.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ho Seuk Bae, Won-Ki Kim, Su-Uk Son, Woo-Shik Kim, Joung-Soo Park
Summary: This study estimated the backscattering strength of bubble clusters in a water tank using ADCP and analyzed their temporal variations and duration. The characteristics of population density spectrum level (PDSL) and void fraction (VF) of the artificial bubbles were characterized based on the distribution obtained by PDPA.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Connor C. G. Bamford, Victoria Warwick-Evans, Iain J. Staniland, Jennifer A. Jackson, Philip N. Trathan
Summary: Antarctic fur seals at South Georgia primarily feed on Antarctic krill, with foraging trips limited by the need to provision their pups. After breeding, female seals disperse to feed and recover condition, with potential interaction with the krill fishery at South Georgia during the winter months. Tracking data from female fur seals in winters of 1999 and 2003 reveals extensive distribution around South Georgia, with small areas of overlap with the krill fishery. These findings have implications for management and future research.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Pierre-Marie Poulain, Luca Centurioni, Tamay Ozgokmen
Summary: This study compares the currents measured by three different drifters in various sea state conditions. The results show that the CARTHE and CODE drifters measure currents in a similar way, while the currents measured by these drifters are mainly downwind and down-wave compared to the SVP drifter. However, there is a significant scatter in velocity differences between CODE/CARTHE and SVP, mainly due to vertical and horizontal shears not related to the wind. Additionally, about 30-40% of the differences in current measurements by the CODE drifter can be explained by Stokes drift when wind speed and significant wave height exceed certain thresholds.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dmitrii G. G. Bitiutskii, Ernest Z. Z. Samyshev, Natalia I. I. Minkina, Victor V. V. Melnikov, Elena S. S. Chudinovskih, Sergei L. I. Usachev, Pavel A. A. Salyuk, Alexander N. N. Serebrennikov, Oleg A. A. Zuev, Alexei M. M. Orlov
Summary: The study investigated the populations of krill (Euphausia superba) and salp (Salpa thompsoni) in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean in January and February 2022. It analyzed the abundance, biomass, and distribution patterns of these organisms, as well as the sex differences and feeding habits of Antarctic krill. The study also examined the relationship between the physiological state of these aquatic organisms and changes in environmental parameters, and obtained data on the association of hydrometeorological parameters and processes with the distribution of chlorophyll a, krill, and salp. The results showed a prevalence of salp biomass over krill, indicating a replacement of Antarctic krill populations by gelatinous zooplankton. The findings provide insights into the biological resource potential in the studied region based on the analysis of collected samples.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Claire M. Waluda, Iain J. Staniland, Michael J. Dunn, Sally E. Thorpe, Emily Grilly, Mari Whitelaw, Kevin A. Hughes
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2020)
Article
Fisheries
Anna Belcher, Kathryn Cook, Daniel Bondyale-Juez, Gabriele Stowasser, Sophie Fielding, Ryan A. Saunders, Daniel J. Mayor, Geraint A. Tarling
ICES JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE
(2020)
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Geraint A. Tarling
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
C. Manno, S. Fielding, G. Stowasser, E. J. Murphy, S. E. Thorpe, G. A. Tarling
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
C. Manno, S. Fielding, G. Stowasser, E. J. Murphy, S. E. Thorpe, G. A. Tarling
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anna Belcher, Sophie Fielding, Andrew Gray, Lauren Biermann, Gabriele Stowasser, Peter Fretwell, Louise Ireland, Geraint A. Tarling
Summary: Antarctic krill are the dominant metazoan in the Southern Ocean in terms of biomass, but their wide and patchy distribution makes estimates of their biomass uncertain. Current methods do not sample the upper surface layers, but historical records show that large surface swarms of krill can change water color. Ocean color satellites can theoretically detect and measure surface krill swarms, and further research on the reflectance spectra of krill suggests that high-density swarms can be remotely detected using platforms such as optical satellites.
Article
Biology
Martin Edwards, Pierre Helaouet, Eric Goberville, Alistair Lindley, Geraint A. Tarling, Michael T. Burrows, Angus Atkinson
Summary: The study reveals a 50% decline in surface krill abundance in the North Atlantic over the past 60 years, with no associated range shift. While warmer isotherms are shifting northwards, cooler isotherms have remained relatively static, leading to a narrowing of the core temperature range for krill distribution. This habitat squeeze may explain the decline in krill population and highlights the complexities of species response to warming temperatures.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Geraint A. Tarling, Jennifer J. Freer, Neil S. Banas, Anna Belcher, Mayleen Blackwell, Claudia Castellani, Kathryn B. Cook, Finlo R. Cottier, Malin Daase, Magnus L. Johnson, Kim S. Last, Penelope K. Lindeque, Daniel J. Mayor, Elaine Mitchell, Helen E. Parry, Douglas C. Speirs, Gabriele Stowasser, Marianne Wootton
Summary: The changing Arctic environment is influencing key zooplankton species such as Calanus finmarchicus, with areas near the ice-edge in the Fram Strait becoming more favorable for their habitat. This increase in suitable habitat is likely due to the long-term retreat of the ice-edge, allowing for earlier and longer phytoplankton blooms and higher temperatures that enhance copepod developmental rates. These changes can have significant implications for community structure and regional food-webs.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jennifer J. Freer, Malin Daase, Geraint A. Tarling
Summary: Biological communities in the Arctic are changing due to climate-driven encroachment of subarctic species, with small-bodied Calanus finmarchicus increasing in abundance in areas where it overlaps with larger Arctic congeners. The environmental factors facilitating this shift remain unclear, and assessing these drivers is necessary to predict future ecosystem change and impacts. Our study shows that the Atlantification of Arctic zooplankton communities is accompanied by climate-driven phenology changes, making these environments more favorable for the subarctic species.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Angus Atkinson, Simeon L. Hill, Christian S. Reiss, Evgeny A. Pakhomov, Gregory Beaugrand, Geraint A. Tarling, Guang Yang, Deborah K. Steinberg, Katrin Schmidt, Martin Edwards, Emilce Rombola, Frances A. Perry
Summary: The study found that, despite the pace of warming, the range shift of Antarctic krill did not keep up with the warming rate. Over a 70-year period, the distribution centers of krill life stages shifted significantly by 1000 km to the southwest. This change may be driven by climatic controls and thermal niche conservatism. Understanding the mechanism behind these abrupt changes is crucial.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oceanography
Sally E. Thorpe, Eugene J. Murphy
Summary: The South Sandwich Islands, located in the highly biologically productive Scotia Sea, are part of a large Marine Protected Area. They have a complex marine environment influenced by various factors such as the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and seasonal sea ice. This study investigates the dynamics and variability of the ocean and sea ice in the region, using remotely sensed data. The results show clear seasonality in sea surface temperature and sea ice, while local chlorophyll blooms display irregular timing and location. The timing and pattern of sea ice retreat seem to be a key driver in the formation of chlorophyll blooms, influenced by local circulation and other processes.
DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART II-TOPICAL STUDIES IN OCEANOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Oceanography
Cecilia M. Liszka, Sally E. Thorpe, Marianne Wootton, Sophie Fielding, Eugene J. Murphy, Geraint A. Tarling
Summary: The South Sandwich Islands are a biologically productive archipelago in the eastern Scotia Sea, with little knowledge of the plankton ecology. This study conducted a comprehensive investigation on the plankton community in the region, revealing spatial variations in community structure and the influence of environmental conditions on plankton distribution and function. The results suggest that the pelagic community of the South Sandwich Islands supports multiple trophic pathways and operates independently from Antarctic krill.
DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART II-TOPICAL STUDIES IN OCEANOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Michael J. Whitehouse, Katharine R. Hendry, Geraint A. Tarling, Sally E. Thorpe, Petra Ten Hoopen
Summary: We have created a database of macronutrient data obtained from 20 oceanographic cruises conducted primarily around South Georgia and the Scotia Sea. The database includes measurements of nutrients such as silicate, phosphate, nitrate, ammonium, and nitrite, along with temperature and salinity data. This comprehensive dataset provides valuable information for studying the ecology of the Southern Ocean and its surrounding regions.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael Carter-Gates, Cecilia Balestreri, Sally E. Thorpe, Finlo Cottier, Alison Baylay, Thomas S. Bibby, C. Mark Moore, Declan C. Schroeder
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)