Shifting swarms

Krill surveys between 1926 and 2004 showed the Southwest Atlantic sector contained about 27 per cent of the circumpolar krill population, making it the “centre” of the Antarctic krill population.

Dr Kawaguchi said recent research showed the concentration of krill in the sector, relative to other sectors, has declined over the past 25 years.

“Krill density in Southwest Atlantic was 8.5 times higher than that of other sectors 100 years ago, but in recent years it is only 2.2 times higher,” Dr Kawaguchi said.

“This could be due to a redistribution of krill to other sectors and a more even spread around Antarctica.”

He said changes in the amount of krill in an area affects the number, size and/or density of krill swarms, and could significantly impact the Southern Ocean ecosystem.

“Large changes in krill density in space and/or time has major implications for their food, their predators and for carbon and nutrient cycling,” he said.

Large krill swarms are thought to influence the local environment by turbulent mixing and redistributing iron (important for phytoplankton growth) and other nutrients, between surface and deep waters.

They also enhance the movement of carbon from the surface to the deep ocean by eating phytoplankton – which remove carbon dioxide from the air – and producing carbon-rich faeces and moults that sink to the seafloor.

Changing food web

Dr Kawaguchi said changes in the density of krill, and their southward shift, could be an advantage to other organisms that compete for phytoplankton, such as salps and copepods, leading to an increase in these species.

However, reduced krill abundance will have a negative impact on whales, seals and penguins.

Penguins, for example, have established breeding colonies in close proximity to areas with historically high numbers of krill.

“Antarctic penguins need reliable access to krill close to their breeding sites to feed their chicks, so if they have to forage further away, it could negatively impact chick survival,” Dr Kawaguchi said.

“Reduced prey availability, due to changes in krill distribution, will also affect the reproduction and survival of whales and other predators.”

Krill management

Dr Kawaguchi said advances in fishing technology will allow krill fishing vessels to detect swarms, despite a decline in frequency and size.

This could put fishing vessels into competition with krill predators and increase the chances of direct interaction, as the predators follow their prey.

The Antarctic krill fishery is managed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) on the basis of the best available scientific data.

CCAMLR’s ecosystem-based management approach to fisheries management requires consideration of all species in the ecosystem and to conserving ecological relationships.

“Understanding how climate change might impact the krill population and its ecological relationship with other components of the ecosystem, will be the key to successful and sustainable management of the krill fishery,” Dr Kawaguchi said.

Ecosystem monitoring

To inform CCAMLR fisheries management and conservation policies, Dr Kawaguchi said a network of monitoring systems around Antarctica, drawing on emerging technologies, is critical to capture any changes in krill.

These include ships’ acoustic instruments that use sound to estimate krill biomass – such as those mounted in the hull and drop keel of RSV Nuyina. Similar instruments can also be mounted on autonomous underwater vehicles and moorings, to monitor less accessible areas.

Other technologies include satellites, gliders, predators carrying cameras, and DNA analysis.

“These technological advancements will expand our understanding of krill habitat use, but they should be used in conjunction with traditional net sampling, which provides critical population data,” Dr Kawaguchi said.

Habitat and ecosystem modelling will also play a critical role in designing a network of monitoring systems, by identifying areas facing a decline in krill, or new krill hotspots.