Ecological responses of Antarctic krill to environmental variability: can we predict the future?

Antarctic krill are a key species in the Southern Ocean ecosystem, and their life cycle appears to be correlated with, and by implication dependent upon, seasonal sea ice dynamics. Moving from correlations with environmental parameters to an understanding of the mechanisms that lead to these correlations may allow predictions of the consequences of climate change on the distribution of favourable habitat for Antarctic krill. During winter cruises in 2001 and 2002 in the region west of the Antarctic Peninsula, one of the most rapidly warming regions on the planet, ice camps were established for periods of 3-9 days. Timing of sea ice advance, chlorophyll a concentrations in ice cores, and growth rates and pigment content of larval krill all differed significantly between winters. Growth rates and pigment content of larval krill from the same ice floe were correlated, suggesting that growth rates in winter are a function of the biomass of the sea ice microbial community. A possible mechanism underlying the correlation between recruitment success and timing of ice advance is proposed. In conjunction with other postulated habitat requirements, this proposed mechanism allows for speculation about future changes in the geographic location of favourable habitat for Antarctic krill.