Document Type
Article
Department/Program
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Publication Date
10-17-2019
Journal
Nature Communications
Volume
10
Issue
4742
Abstract
Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) are swarming, oceanic crustaceans, up to two inches long, and best known as prey for whales and penguins – but they have another important role. With their large size, high biomass and daily vertical migrations they transport and transform essential nutrients, stimulate primary productivity and influence the carbon sink. Antarctic krill are also fished by the Southern Ocean’s largest fishery. Yet how krill fishing impacts nutrient fertilisation and the carbon sink in the Southern Ocean is poorly understood. Our synthesis shows fishery management should consider the influential biogeochemical role of both adult and larval Antarctic krill.
DOI
10.1038/s41467-019-12668-7
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Cavan, EL; Belcher, A; Hill, SL; Kawaguchi, S; McCormack, S; Meyer, B; Nicol, S; Schmidt, K; Steinberg, Deborah K.; Tarling, GA; and Boyd, PW, The importance of Antarctic krill in biogeochemical cycles (2019). Nature Communications, 10(4742).
10.1038/s41467-019-12668-7
