Analysis of the krill spatial distribution characteristics as the important factor for the krill fishery management in Area was performed by Sytov A. being   the CCAMLR Scholarship recipient (mentor Kasatkina S.). The data obtained  from the multiannual Russian observations in the Area 48, including acoustic surveys data, fishery statistics (haul by haul), the data obtained during scientific observation on board fishing vessels (including acoustic and biological observations) were  analyzed for the period from 1980 to 2002. The main results of this analysis are shown.

We analyzed the sea-ice concentration for the southern ice-shelf areas of 48.6 during the latest four seasons using two satellite data, LANCE-MODIS data and AMSR2 of “Shizuku” processed byUniversity Bremen.

Figure 1 shows the overall of the topography and ice condition with Shinsei maru No. 3 trace in 2015/16 season (the detailed trace will be presented at the PowerPoint slide in the WG-SAM-16 meeting).

Figure 2 shows the sea-ice dynamics during the last four seasons (2013-2016) for the two research blocks, 48.6_4 and 48.6_5. The sea-ice concentration during January-March for block 48.6_4 was lowest in 2016, and Japan and South Africa vessels has conducted fishing operation as they scheduled and completed almost all the catch limit allocated.

Figure 3 focused the sea-ice dynamics in and around block 48.6_5 during the latest four seasons. As for 2015/16 season, the fast sea-ice had still occupied the block except for the southern part near the continent in February 1st (Figure 3). Shinsei maru No. 3 had conducted the operations in block 48.6_4 almost all the time in January following the operations in block 48.6_3, then moved to block 48.6_5 in February 4th. However, there had been no appropriate route for her to enter the block, thus she left for the northern part of Subarea 48.6 in February 8th. However, the sea-ice disappeared in the eastern part of the block in February 21st after she left. The sea-ice was becoming thick around whole block in March 11th, but disappeared in the eastern part of the block again in March 21st.

Figure 4 shows the time series of sea-ice concentration during January-March for the latest four seasons in the two research blocks. The sea-ice concentration for block 48.6_4 was much lower throughout the period in 2016 (red line in the upper figure) than the preceding three seasons. The sea-ice concentration for block 48.6_5 stayed at averaged level of the latest seasons during January-February but showed the lowest level in March in 2016 (red line in the lower figure).

As Figures 3 and 4, the sea-ice condition in 2015/16 season was the most favorable to enter 48.6_5 during the latest four seasons. It was however unfortunate that Shinsei maru No. 3 could not enter the research block 48.6_5 because she missed the opportunity to go into the block even though there were apparently free of ice for some part in some timing after late February.

We try to analyze the sea-ice dynamics in relation to environmental factors such as wind and ocean currents to predict the sea-ice condition for the following seasons, which will enable the vessels to conduct the effective research toward the robust stock assessment. We will develop the research plan and make the presentation on that in the coming WG-FSA meeting.

It is important to study its structure because plankton community changes by the environmental changes in the Antarctic Ocean ecosystem. We here applied the metabarcoding method to analyze the biodiversity of zooplankton in the Indian Ocean of Antarctica, Division 58.4.1 in 2014/15. Compared with the previous method, next generation sequencing (NGS) using Miseq platform produces the large amount of reliable data with relatively low cost. Resulting NGS sequencing two different sized zooplankton populations, 40,376 (56 OTUs and 12 species) and 16,525 (62 OTUs and 16 species) contigs were obtained from large-sized (>1 mm) and small-sized (< 1mm) fractions, respectively. Based on the low numbers of “unknown” OTUs, we were able to know that metabarcoding strategy can be possible in the zooplankton survey only if additional barcode data of small-sized zooplankton or those with soft tissue are supplemented. In both fractions, copepods occupied the highest proportions and Calanoides acutus was the major species among them. Although there were a lot of commonly identified species in both fractions, we were also able to identify several fraction-specific species, which provide several useful ecological information examined zooplanktons. The reproduction of spawning grounds may be estimated by the fish OTS originated from the egg or larvae. From this result, we showed the possibility about the large scale zooplankton survey using the NGS technology for its low cost and time for the analysis.

Dissostichus mawsoni, the Antarctic toothfish, is a local organism of the Southern Ocean. The fish is a member of the Notothenioidei, which lives in the sub-zero (-2 °C) continental shelf waters of Antarctica. The Antarctic toothfish are protected from freezing by the existence of antifreeze proteins in the tissue, which inhibit the ice making in the body fluids. In this project, we set a goal to explore the bacterial population which is present in the tissues of Antarctic toothfish by using both culture-dependent and independent methods. The bacterial strains were isolated from the fish tissues, skin, and gonad using standard serial plate method, which is a culture-dependent method. The bacteria were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. For culture-independent methods, the bacterial DNAs were isolated from tissue, gonad, and skin by using DNA isolation kit, respectively. The bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplification and pyrosequencing were performed. The data was analysed using V and Mothur programs. The pyrosequence data present that the genus Psychrobacter, Snodgrassella, and Deinococcus are the predominant genera of the fish. Psychrobacter cibarius and Psychrobacter fozii were the dominant species which isolated and grew in the plate from the tissue. Meanwhile, Psychrobacter okhotskensis, Psychrobacter cibarius, Psychrobacter maritimus, and Psychrobacter fozii identified from gonad sample. This project showed that the significant existence of Psychrobacter in the fish tissue. However, the skin is dominated by Snodgrassella which determined by the culture-independent method.

To identify the important prey items for pre-recruit Antarctic toothfish in the SSRUs 58.4.1.C, 58.4.1.G, 58.4.1.E, and 58.4.2.E, their stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios were determined. Sampling efforts were made during a longline survey of pre-recruit toothfish from commercial fishing vessel. In the previous studies, similarities in total FA compositions and the FA profiles in muscle tissue of Antarctic toothfish, bycatch specimen and icefish in the stomachs indicated a trophic connection between the toothfish and icefish. In this study, similarities in the δ13C values δ15N values of Antarctic toothfish indicate they occupy same trophic position irrespective of the area, body size, sex, and gonadal maturity. The combination of stable isotope ratios and fatty acid profiles can be effectively used to trace the trophic transfer from organic matter sources to higher trophic levels through food chains. Further studies on the trophic relationship between Antarctic toothfish and other animals by collection and subsequent biomarker analyses such as stable isotope analysis after lipid extraction, stomach contents analysis, and fatty acid analysis are needed to better understand the carbon flow through the Antarctic ecosystems.

The issue of observer coverage in krill fisheries has been the subject of extensive discussion at the Commission for a number of years, as the krill fishery is the only CCAMLR fishery that does not require 100% observer coverage. The Secretariat analysed the level of observer coverage for the past five years comparing the number of days of fishing conducted by vessels in the krill fleet, with the number of days observers were present on vessels as this is a consistent metric that can be applied fleet wide, regardless of fishing method. The results show a 90% level  of observer coverage across the krill fleet, spanning all subareas and seasons.

The reproductive success of southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) depends on body condition and, therefore, on foraging success. This, in turn, might be affected by climatically driven change in the abundance of the species main prey, krill (Euphausia superba), on the feeding grounds. Annual data on southern right whale number of calves were obtained from aerial surveys carried out between 1997 and 2013 in southern Brazil, where the species concentrate during their breeding season. The number of calves recorded each year varied from 7 to 43 (x = 21.11 ± 11.88). Using cross-correlation analysis we examined the response of the species to climate anomalies and krill densities. Significant correlations were found with krill densities (r = 0.69, p = 0.002, lag 0 years), Oceanic Niño Index (r = −0.65, p = 0.03, lag 6 years), Antarctic Oscillation (r = 0.76, p = 0.01, lag 7 years) and Antarctic sea ice area (r = −0.68, p = 0.002, lag 0 years). Our results suggest that global climate indices influence southern right whale breeding success in southern Brazil by determining variation in food (krill) availability for the species. Therefore, increased frequency of years with reduced krill abundance, due to global warming, is likely to reduce the current rate of recovery of southern right whales from historical overexploitation.

Announcement and details of the Third International Symposium on Krill to be held at the  University of St Andrews, Scotland, between June 12 and 16, 2017.

This study aims to provide consistent information to explain the steady declining trend in the number of breeding pairs of Antarctic shag Phalacrocorax bransfieldensis in two colonies on Nelson Island, South Shetland Islands, southern Atlantic sector of Antarctica, which was observed during the 1990s up to the mid 2000s over an overall monitoring period of over two decades. It addresses correspondence between long-term population trends of inshore demersal fish and inshore-feeding Antarctic shags of this area, where an intensive commercial fishery for shag prey once operated. The analysis also includes comparable information on diet (by examination of regurgitated pellets), foraging patterns, and breeding output of shags from the Danco Coast, western Antarctic Peninsula, an area where no commercial finfish fishery has ever existed. Integral study of these parameters there showed that, in Antarctic shags, low breeding success and high foraging effort might imply low recruitment and high adult mortality, respectively, with both factors adversely affecting the population trends of this bird. In line with these premises, the declining trend observed in shag colonies on the South Shetland Islands appears to have been influenced by the concomitant decrease in abundance of two of their main prey, the nototheniids Notothenia rossii and Gobionotothen gibberifrons, due to intensive industrial fishing in the area in the late 1970s. In comparison, no such pattern occurred for the Danco Coast colonies.

This paper summarises progress by WG-EMM-STAPP in estimating krill consumption by air-breathing predators in CCAMLR management units. There have been significant advances in estimating krill consumption by pack-ice seals and penguins since the last update in 2011. Estimates of pack-ice seal abundance are now available for Areas 48, 88 and 58. Krill consumption by crabeater seals, the most important krill-consuming seal species, has been estimated in Areas 48 and 58. Large-scale estimates of breeding penguin abundance are now available for Areas 48, 88 and 58, and a large-scale estimate of non-breeder abundance is now available for Adélie penguins in Area 58. Parametising a bio-energetics model recently developed for breeding Adélie penguins to other species, to non-breeders, and to other regions will allow estimates of krill consumption by penguins to be developed in all Areas in the near future. Work to partition krill consumption by penguins into small-scale management units by developing foraging habitat models is well advanced.