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Krill (Euphausia superba) distribution contracts southward during rapid regional warming

Author

Listed:
  • Angus Atkinson

    (Plymouth Marine Laboratory)

  • Simeon L. Hill

    (British Antarctic Survey)

  • Evgeny A. Pakhomov

    (University of British Columbia
    University of British Columbia
    Hakai Institute)

  • Volker Siegel

    (Thuenen Institute of Sea Fisheries)

  • Christian S. Reiss

    (NOAA Fisheries)

  • Valerie J. Loeb

    (Moss Landing Marine Laboratories)

  • Deborah K. Steinberg

    (College of William & Mary)

  • Katrin Schmidt

    (University of Plymouth)

  • Geraint A. Tarling

    (British Antarctic Survey)

  • Laura Gerrish

    (British Antarctic Survey)

  • Sévrine F. Sailley

    (Plymouth Marine Laboratory)

Abstract

High-latitude ecosystems are among the fastest warming on the planet1. Polar species may be sensitive to warming and ice loss, but data are scarce and evidence is conflicting2–4. Here, we show that, within their main population centre in the southwest Atlantic sector, the distribution of Euphausia superba (hereafter, ‘krill’) has contracted southward over the past 90 years. Near their northern limit, numerical densities have declined sharply and the population has become more concentrated towards the Antarctic shelves. A concomitant increase in mean body length reflects reduced recruitment of juvenile krill. We found evidence for environmental controls on recruitment, including a reduced density of juveniles following positive anomalies of the Southern Annular Mode. Such anomalies are associated with warm, windy and cloudy weather and reduced sea ice, all of which may hinder egg production and the survival of larval krill5. However, the total post-larval density has declined less steeply than the density of recruits, suggesting that survival rates of older krill have increased. The changing distribution is already perturbing the krill-centred food web6 and may affect biogeochemical cycling7,8. Rapid climate change, with associated nonlinear adjustments in the roles of keystone species, poses challenges for the management of valuable polar ecosystems3.

Suggested Citation

  • Angus Atkinson & Simeon L. Hill & Evgeny A. Pakhomov & Volker Siegel & Christian S. Reiss & Valerie J. Loeb & Deborah K. Steinberg & Katrin Schmidt & Geraint A. Tarling & Laura Gerrish & Sévrine F. Sa, 2019. "Krill (Euphausia superba) distribution contracts southward during rapid regional warming," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 9(2), pages 142-147, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcli:v:9:y:2019:i:2:d:10.1038_s41558-018-0370-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41558-018-0370-z
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Afonso Ferreira & Carlos R. B. Mendes & Raul R. Costa & Vanda Brotas & Virginia M. Tavano & Catarina V. Guerreiro & Eduardo R. Secchi & Ana C. Brito, 2024. "Climate change is associated with higher phytoplankton biomass and longer blooms in the West Antarctic Peninsula," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. E. L. Cavan & N. Mackay & S. L. Hill & A. Atkinson & A. Belcher & A. Visser, 2024. "Antarctic krill sequester similar amounts of carbon to key coastal blue carbon habitats," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Per Unneberg & Mårten Larsson & Anna Olsson & Ola Wallerman & Anna Petri & Ignas Bunikis & Olga Vinnere Pettersson & Chiara Papetti & Astthor Gislason & Henrik Glenner & Joan E. Cartes & Leocadio Blan, 2024. "Ecological genomics in the Northern krill uncovers loci for local adaptation across ocean basins," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-29, December.
    4. Nora-Charlotte Pauli & Clara M. Flintrop & Christian Konrad & Evgeny A. Pakhomov & Steffen Swoboda & Florian Koch & Xin-Liang Wang & Ji-Chang Zhang & Andrew S. Brierley & Matteo Bernasconi & Bettina M, 2021. "Krill and salp faecal pellets contribute equally to the carbon flux at the Antarctic Peninsula," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, December.
    5. M. S. Clark & J. I. Hoffman & L. S. Peck & L. Bargelloni & D. Gande & C. Havermans & B. Meyer & T. Patarnello & T. Phillips & K. R. Stoof-Leichsenring & D. L. J. Vendrami & A. Beck & G. Collins & M. W, 2023. "Multi-omics for studying and understanding polar life," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    6. Lavenia Ratnarajah & Rana Abu-Alhaija & Angus Atkinson & Sonia Batten & Nicholas J. Bax & Kim S. Bernard & Gabrielle Canonico & Astrid Cornils & Jason D. Everett & Maria Grigoratou & Nurul Huda Ahmad , 2023. "Monitoring and modelling marine zooplankton in a changing climate," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-17, December.
    7. Matthew S. Savoca & Mehr Kumar & Zephyr Sylvester & Max F. Czapanskiy & Bettina Meyer & Jeremy A. Goldbogen & Cassandra M. Brooks, 2024. "Whale recovery and the emerging human-wildlife conflict over Antarctic krill," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    8. Jeroen Ingels & Richard B. Aronson & Craig R. Smith & Amy Baco & Holly M. Bik & James A. Blake & Angelika Brandt & Mattias Cape & David Demaster & Emily Dolan & Eugene Domack & Spencer Fire & Heidi Ge, 2021. "Antarctic ecosystem responses following ice‐shelf collapse and iceberg calving: Science review and future research," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 12(1), January.
    9. Patrick Eskuche-Keith & Simeon L. Hill & Lucía López-López & Benjamin Rosenbaum & Ryan A. Saunders & Geraint A. Tarling & Eoin J. O’Gorman, 2024. "Temperature alters the predator-prey size relationships and size-selectivity of Southern Ocean fish," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.

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