Selection criteria and monitoring requirements for indirect indicators of changes in the availability of Antarctic krill applied to some pinniped and seabird information
Abstract / Description:
Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, is the dominant herbivore in the Antarctic marine food web and a principal component in the diets of: fin, blue, humpback and minke whales; crabeater seals and Antarctic fur seals; Adelie, chinstrap, macaroni and rock-hopper penguins; several other species of seabirds; and several species of fishes and squid. Some of these species are eaten in turn by sperm whales, killer whales, leopard seals, and other higher order predators. Thus, if it is not developed and managed properly, the fishery for E. superba could affect many dependent species and the basic structure and dynamics of the Antarctic marine food web, as well as the distribution, abundance or productivity of krill itself.