USAP-DC

Krill, Euphausia superba, is a keystone species in the Antarctic ecosystem and provides the trophic link between microscopic plankton and charismatic megafauna such as penguins and whales. Recent evidence suggests krill may not be exclusively planktonivorous, which introduces the potential of new pathways of carbon flux through krill based ecosystems. A change in our view of krill from one of being herbivores to omnivores opens up several questions.

Climate induced change in the extent, thickness and duration of overlying sea ice coverage is expected to change the prey fields available to krill, and to have subsequent effects on the suite of predators supported by krill. The nature of this benthic prey?krill link, which may be crucial in those parts of the seasonal cycle other than the well studied spring bloom, is yet to be determined. DNA techniques will be used to identify and quantify the prey organisms.

This project will measure the in situ feeding ecology and behavior of krill and, ultimately, the success of this key species. An overall goal is
to investigate seasonal changes in Euphausia superba in-situ feeding and swimming behavior in the Wilhelmina Bay region of the Western Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) area, known to be a region of changing climate. Understanding the biological impacts of climate change is important to societal and economic goals. The project scientists will additionally team with a marine and environmental reporting group to design presentations for an annual journalist meeting.

Person	Role
Durbin, Edward	Investigator

Antarctic Instrumentation and Support	Award # 1142107
Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems	Award # 1142107

Deployment	Type
NBP1304	ship expedition

None in the Database

Repository	Title (link)	Format(s)	Status
R2R	Expedition data of NBP1304	None	exists

1. Morison, F., & Menden-Deuer, S. (2017). Doing more with less? Balancing sampling resolution and effort in measurements of protistan growth and grazing-rates. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 15(9), 794–809. (doi:10.1002/lom3.10200)
2. Anderson, S. R., & Menden-Deuer, S. (2016). Growth, Grazing, and Starvation Survival in Three Heterotrophic Dinoflagellate Species. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, 64(2), 213–225. (doi:10.1111/jeu.12353)
3. Morison, F., & Menden-Deuer, S. (2018). Seasonal similarity in rates of protistan herbivory in fjords along the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Limnology and Oceanography, 63(6), 2858–2876. (doi:10.1002/lno.11014)
4. Kane, M. K., Yopak, R., Roman, C., & Menden‐Deuer, S. (2018). Krill motion in the Southern Ocean: quantifying in situ krill movement behaviors and distributions during the late austral autumn and spring. Limnology and Oceanography, 63(6), 2839–2857. (doi:10.1002/lno.11024)
5. Cleary, A. C., & Durbin, E. G. (2016). Unexpected prevalence of parasite 18S rDNA sequences in winter among Antarctic marine protists. Journal of Plankton Research, 38(3), 401–417. (doi:10.1093/plankt/fbw005)