Solving the mystery of krill's AGE

For many years, scientists have been studying marine animals and applied different methods for age assumption without any luck. “Despite more than 50 years of research, it has not been possible to accurately access the age structure of krill populations or to estimate their natural longevity.”

Raouf Kilada, a passionate diver and marine scientist, stumbled upon this field when he was concluding his master’s degree program on clams in the coral reef. “These species can be less than 20 cm in size, but they can reach up to 300 years. To study this field was an exciting challenge. I had to find it out how to determine the age of species like shrimp, lobster and crabs.”

Raouf Kilada

This quest took him to Canada where together with his fellow scientists, So Kawaguchi, Robert A. King, Christian S. Reiss, Tsuyoshi Matsuda and Taro Ichii, he made revolutionary discoveries in this field. They could determine the age of crustaceans by counting rings in hidden-away internal spots in those animals.

“We developed a method that is based on counting the annual pattern of bands in the eyestalks of shrimp. In lobsters and crabs, the rings were found in the parts of the stomach. That way we could determine the absolute age of these animals.”

Before their discovery to determine the age of a lobster for example, scientists would study its size and other variables. It was an unreliable source of information because, for instance, lobsters go through a molting period and shed their calcified body parts that have any information about them.

In 2015, Kilada and his team of scientists received a grant from AWR to develop this methodology further and apply it to krill. But there was a bump on the road with testing this on krill. It is much smaller and more fragile to research. “We had to validate that one ring of the krill’s eyestalk is one year. Luckily Kawaguchi had the biggest aquarium in the world where he was growing krill. Some of his krill were up to five years old.” “The consistent counts across his and other laboratories supported the hypothesis that bands in eyestalks were accurate independent of the krill’s molting frequency.”

They have started on phase two of this project and will be collecting krill from different areas in the Antarctic region to compare their ecology, age structure, and survival rate.

Krill is an important part of the ecosystem of the Antarctic region, but why is it so important to know its age?

“Krill is the ecosystem of the Antarctic, but krill ecology is more and more affected by the climate change and the reduction in sea ice cover. It is critical to determine the variability in growth, areas and time of krill to understand how it responds to future climate change.”

Kilada explains that this information is especially crucial for managing krill fisheries. If they are fishing in the areas with young krill population, it can threaten the further growth of krill and the rest of the ecosystem.

How do climate change and the rising temperature affect the krill?

“Female krill have to stick their eggs on the lower surface of the ice mass in order to hatch. Our hypothesis is that if the temperature increases, it leads to that krill females need to carry eggs for longer distances since there is less ice.”

“There are two scenarios – the eggs will die, or hatch in different unfavorable conditions so the growth will be affected by for example malnutrition. That’s why by knowing the age of the krill one can secure the sustainability of the krill in the Antarctic region.”

Kilada is currently starting his research lab in Halifax in Eastern Canada. He is going to work further on this topic with governments, universities, and industries. Kilada is focusing on krill in California, red king crab from Norway, and other species.

The AWR History

Photo: The founding Board members in 2015 with Karoline Andaur (WWF), Sigve Nordrum (Aker BioMarine), Andrea Kavanagh (Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition), Matts Johansen (Aker BioMarine) and Mark Epstein (Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition).

In February 2015, the Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund was unveiled at a ceremony in Australia with King Harald V, Queen Sonja of Norway, and several leaders and ministers from Norway and Australia.

“The fund’s mission is to ensure a resilient Antarctica through filling critical gaps in ecosystem research and monitoring,” says Sigve Nordrum from Aker Biomarine.

However, it took fund partners many years to form a plan for the AWR. This journey started already in 2006 when Aker Biomarine began their collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund Norway. For many years, they have exchanged views and expertise on sustainable solutions for krill fisheries.

Dr. Rodolfo Werner

Through WWF’s network and Head of Research Karoline Andaur, Sigve Nordrum from Aker Biomarine got acquainted with many scientists and NGOs working in this sector. One of them was biologist Rodolfo Werner, who in the last 15 years has been focusing more on the policy aspects of Antarctic conservation.

“I love science, but I did not want to spend my life sitting in the lab or focusing my work on computer models. I wanted to do something else, something more applied. Thus, by putting my experience in practice on both fields, I became a bridge between scientists and policymakers,” says Werner.

Through the years their informal talks were often about the need for more knowledge and increased monitoring of the Antarctic wildlife. “It took us many years since our first conversation on this matter until we started talking more specifically about investing money in research projects in the Antarctic Peninsula,” says Werner.  

The idea materialized in the form of a fund that was established in 2015 by Aker BioMarine, the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) and WWF-Norway. The first commercial commitment was made to AWR by Aker BioMarine in the form of 500,000 USD. Several of their partners, such as Blackmores, Swisse and BioMar, have contributed with the donations.

“We came up with an idea of creating an organization aimed at obtaining and administering funds to support the research needed for the management of the krill fishery. What kind of research was really needed was our next question.”

Krill is a vital element of the Antarctic food web. Every single species in Antarctica is dependent on krill in some way. However, Nordrum clarifies that they focus on the projects that will help to understand not only the Antarctic krill but also the whole marine ecosystem in the Antarctic Peninsula.

Photo: The founding Science Advisory Group from 2009 with Dr. Polly A. Penhale, Dr. Phil Trathan, Dr. So Kawaguchi, Dr. Andrew Lowther, Dr. Gennadi Milinevsky, Dr. Javier Arata, Dr. Rodolfo Werner and Dr. Taro Ichii

Werner says that as part of establishing AWR, they decided to create a Science Advisory Group, and include leading scientists from several nations participating in the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). “We chose scientists that were deeply involved in Antarctic research and that were aware of the CCAMLR scientific needs.”

One of the first steps was to come up with a Scientific Research Plan and to priorities to guide a selection of research projects. The technical groups of the CCAMLR identified the research needs.

“At one point, some scientists were not sure if it was a good idea to create a funding mechanism for Antarctic research which was not a part of CCAMLR. We argued that the science plan for AWR is based on the needs of the Convention, and by keeping it as an independent organization, we were freeing ourselves from the institutional bureaucracy that is associated to the Convention”. “As a non governmental entity, we have greater independency and flexibility in choosing and funding projects,” says Werner.  

The board of the AWR is made of five people. “Two people are representing Aker Biomarine, and three people are NGO representatives, one from WWF and two from ASOC,” says Nordrum.

The industry does not have the majority of the board, which helps to secure the independence of the organization from the industry’s fishing interests. “Members of the Board and the Science Advisory Board do not receive any financial compensation for their AWR work. They only get the travel expenses covered for the annual meetings,” says Werner.

In November 2017, they opened up for the third round of research proposals. AWR has a multi-step process to ensure that the best proposals are chosen. “The Science Advisory Group reviews all proposals anonymously and makes recommendations and scores the projects based on their relevance, quality, fit to scheme, etc. Following these recommendations, the AWR board takes the final decision,” says Nordrum.

Recently, Aker Biomarine announced they would provide AWR with 200,000 USD annually which secures the fund’s economic stability. “Having said this, AWR is always interested in receiving some additional funds from sponsors and contributors, ” says Werner.  

New AWR research projects presented at the annual CCAMLR meeting in Hobart, Australia

Photo: Cilia Holmes Indahl (AWR Secretary), Dr Christian Reiss (USA), Dr Bettina Meyer (Germany), Dr. Phil Trathan (Chair of SAG), Claire Christian (Chair of the AWR Board) and Dr. Rodolfo Werner (AWR Scientific Advisor and Board member)

On Wednesday October 18th, AWR presented at the CCAMLR annual meeting in Hobart, Australia, the three new research projects that were selected this year.

"We are very pleased with the research proposals that we received in the third call for proposals.  As in previous years, the quality of the projects was superb and it was difficult to select the winning projects.  I believe that the three selected projects cover key issues for the management of the krill fishery.  On the other hand, we received the news that Aker BioMarine (a founding member of AWR) has committed to provide 200,000 USD annually for the foreseeable future, providing AWR with funding stability. We are already looking into the fourth call for proposals that will be opened in 2018.", said Dr. Rodolfo Werner, AWR Scientific Advisor and Board member.

The three granted research projects are:

• “Rapid unsupervised automated Krill density estimation from fishing vessels (Rapid-Krill)”. The project will be led by Dr Sophie Fielding from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), and her fellow researchers from BAS, Institute of Marine Research (Norway) and Yellow Sea Fishery Research Institution (China)
  

• “Reconstructing mesopelagic fish populations from biological samplers: a missing link in ecosystem based feedback management”. The project will be led by Dr Ronald S. Kaufmann from the University of San Diego, in cooperation with Dr Christian Reiss and researchers from Southwest Fisheries Science Center (USA)
  

• “Concurrent assessment of baleen whale and krill distribution along the West Antarctic Peninsula using state-of-the art census techniques in a synchronized sampling effort”. The project is led by Dr Helena Herr from the University of Hamburg, in collaboration with Dr Bettina Meyer and researchers from the University of Hamburg and from Alfred-Wegner Institute (Germany)

The Science Advisory Group (SAG) of AWR is currently working on defining the priorities for the upcoming fourth call for proposals, which will be released in the coming weeks.

Dr Christian Reiss, Dr Bettina Meyer

Dr Phil Trathan, Dr Rodolfo Werner

Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund (AWR) announces grants recipient for the third call for proposals

Photo: Rodolfo Werner

Over the past three months, AWR’s Science Advisory Group (SAG) evaluated 8 scientific research proposals. The SAG based the evaluation of each proposal on the priorities for this call along with criteria previously published on the AWR website, including: excellence, fit to scheme, cost effectiveness, and track record. 

On September 19th, in its annual meeting, the AWR Board reviewed the SAG evaluation and took a decision on the projects to be funded.  

AWR is pleased to announce the three recipients of its third call for research grants:

-           “Rapid unsupervised automated Krill density estimation from fishing vessels (Rapid-Krill)”. The project will be led by Sophie Fielding from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), and her fellow researchers from BAS, Institute of Marine Research (Norway) and Yellow Sea Fishery Research Institution (China)
 

-          “Reconstructing mesopelagic fish populations from biological samplers: a missing link in ecosystem based feedback management”. The project will be led by Ronald S. Kaufmann from the University of San Diego, in cooperation with researchers from Southwest Fisheries Science Center (USA)
 

-          “Concurrent assessment of baleen whale and krill distribution along the West Antarctic Peninsula using state-of-the art census techniques in a synchronized sampling effort”. The project is led by Helena Herr from the University of Hamburg, in collaboration with other researchers from the University of Hamburg and from Alfred-Wegner Institute (Germany)

For further information, please contact Cilia Holmes Indahl at info@antarcticfund.org.

Studying 10 000 KRILL per CUBIC metre

Krill are incredibly tiny animals. They are, at most, only six centimeters long, weigh up to two grams, and can live for up to six years. But despite their humble size they are a key component of the Southern Ocean ecosystem. The species is a major part of the diet of many predators, including fish, squid, seals, seabirds and penguins and whales. In addition, they are a part of commercial fishery and play a role in the carbon cycle.

How can we study such a small and an important animal? Sally Thorpe knows how. She is an ecosystem modeler at the British Antarctic Survey. In 2016, she and her colleagues got a grant from the Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund to research krill retention, dispersal and behavior.

As she explains, they are planning to employ mathematical models of ocean circulation and sea ice, in conjunction with data collected on krill.

“Yes, krill are small, but they form dense swarms that may have more than 10 000 krill per metre-cubed of water. We can see these swarms in acoustic systems used on research ships and fishing vessels. Through the acoustic systems, we map swarms and get an estimate of the distribution and biomass of krill,” says Dr. Sally Thorpe.

They are using data from ocean and sea ice models to investigate why krill are found where they are and how the distribution is likely to vary over time. They will use krill distribution data from krill fishery vessels and data from satellite tags on predators like penguins to check their model results. They are currently analyzing the results, which will hopefully give more insight into a region increasingly affected by climate change.

“More research on krill will help us to see what is going on in the present day. That way we are better placed to consider the impacts of climate change in this region.”

This kind of research is also important for krill fisheries and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), which are responsible for manages and regulates them.

“CCAMLR is using an ecosystem approach to protect the Southern Ocean ecosystem from the impacts arising from the fishing. This requires knowledge of the controls on the distribution and abundance of krill, which is where our research fits in.”

“By improving the understanding of the regional and local-scale processes that influence the distribution of krill in one of the main krill fishing areas, the South Orkney Islands region, we hope to help inform the development of management procedures.”

Want to study the Antarctica? 4 scientists share their best tips

Oceanographer Sally Thorpe had wanted to visit Antarctica since she was little.

“I was interested in geography and the environment, so I took Environmental Sciences degree. It let me study a range of different subjects including physical oceanography which I loved.”

After that, Thorpe was presented with the opportunity to complete a PhD in physical oceanography with fieldwork in the Antarctic.

“This opportunity seemed tailor-made and led to multiple cruises in the Southern Ocean and to my current job with the British Antarctic Survey.  It still seems too good to be true!”

These days, she works on a project studying krill distribution made possible by a grant from the Antarctica Wildlife Research fund.

Her career advice to aspiring scientists is simple – you have to try many things before you find your passion.

“Try and find out about as many different science areas as possible while doing your degree. Take a variety of modules where possible, go to seminars by visiting scientists, do field trips if they’re on offer. Work out what it is that you’re really interested in and go from there.”

She adds: “Don’t fear math! It is so useful in so many different subjects.”

Get an overview

Ari Friedlaender, associate professor at the Oregon State University, studies the movement patterns and foraging behaviors of the largest krill predators - humpback whales.

Friedlander’s advice to young scientists who want to research Antarctica is to get an overview of previous research related to the region.

“We can tell a lot about whales, but you also have to understand how the whole ecosystem works. It is important to take advantage of what other people have done in the region before and what they plan on doing. It is critical in science.”

Good work equals new opportunities

Christian S. Reiss at the US National Marine Fisheries Service, recommends young scientists do their best to pursue exciting opportunities.

“Science is an individual pursuit. It is about how you creatively think about the world, you follow an interest and you end up places where you would never have thought and take opportunities as they come up. Those opportunities arise from doing good work.”

Get out there

Mingshun Jiang, an oceanographer and research associate professor at Florida Atlantic University, like Reiss, stumbled onto this field by accident. Jiang grew up in China and didn’t see the ocean until he was in his twenties. He never imagined the ocean would later become an important part of his life and career.

“My background is in mathematics, and I had little knowledge in the field of oceanography when I was in college. One of my mentors at the university had been working in the Antarctic for a long time, and this is how I started working in this area,” says Jiang.

He advises young scientists to go where the subject of their research is.

“Spend more time in the ocean. Nowadays we have computers and models that can tell you pretty much anything. However, we still must be out there, observe and measure in the environment we are researching.”

Understanding krill

“Krill is a phenomenal animal and has a very complicated life cycle and dynamics. We need to understand the biology, chemistry and physics around what affects the krill behaviour,” says Mingshun Jiang, oceanographer and associate research professor at Florida Atlantic University.

In 2016, he and Christian S. Reiss of the US National Marine Fisheries Service were awarded a grant from the Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund to study Antarctic krill.

Why is it important to research krill?

“Krill are eaten by whales, penguins, fish, and krill eats the plankton and the smaller animals. So, the energy they concentrate by eating the plankton is transferred through the whole food chain, which makes them a fundamental link in the food web of the Antarctic,” says Reiss.

The marine ecosystem around the Antarctic Peninsula is experiencing significant changes, including reduction in sea ice cover. These changes impact the entire ecosystem, including krill.

“It is important to study krill's response to these changes and how it affects species dependent on krill. Will they become abundant because of the fewer krill? How many krill can the Southern Ocean support? Those are some of the big science questions when it comes to krill research,” says Reiss.

Research on krill is also relevant for krill fisheries. However, as Jiang adds, it is vital to research krill for “pure scientific curiosity.”

What are the main goals with your research?

“We try to understand a fundamental question of how important are the physics of the environment in the Antarctic and linkages between different species in the ecosystem. The first thing we are doing is understanding and describing the distribution and movements of krill, its behavior, the potential effects predators and fishing have on krill,” says Reiss.

“The basis of these is studying the so-called connectivity and retention of krill, which describe how krill populations are connected and the sources and export of krill in a particular area”, adds Jiang.

The results of this research will help fisheries develop more sustainable practices and design strategy to protect this fragile ecosystem.

“The krill fisheries are concentrating on small areas. The question is how much it is possible to fish in those areas without removing krill faster than they replenish and without impacting the predators,” says Reiss.

In order to address these questions, the scientists are using more than 15 years of data collected by Reiss and his colleagues.

Jiang has developed a high resolution numerical model to better understand the spatial patterns of krill connectivity and retention.

“This model is called Lagrangian tracking. We can track the krill movement, which assume krill are particles that move with waters, but also capable of moving up and down by themselves.”

Output from simulations and this model will be available for public access and can be used by other scientists.

A Passion for Humpback Whales

Ari Friedlaender, associate researcher at University of California Santa Cruz, always knew he wanted to be a scientist.

“I grew up in a family of academics near the ocean. In childhood, I spent all my time at the beach, exploring, collecting and counting things and making lists of what I saw.”

He became an ecologist and has visited the Antarctic region every year for the past 20 years to research marine mammal. 2016 was no exception. He and David W. Johnston of Duke University went together to study the movement patterns and foraging behaviours of the largest krill predators - humpback whales. This project was conducted as part of a grant from the Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund (AWR). Their research may provide crucial insight into how climate change could impact the region’s fragile ecosystem.

“Climate changes lead to reductions in the extent and duration of seasonal sea ice cover. These changes impact the demography and ecology of the krill and the predators that rely on krill as their primary prey.”

Friedlaender explains that humpback whales live in open water, and their habitat space is expanding.

“The population of the humpback whales is going absolutely through the roof. They have an opportunity to feed for the longer period of the season and there is almost none or little competition for the resources.”

However, the situation is entirely the opposite for tiny krill.

“Krill require sea ice for their survival. Previous research shows that there is alink between the amount of the sea ice you have in the winter time and how many krill will survive till the next season.” 

Humpback whales need high densities of krill, which are also an important food source for the penguins and the seals. So far, Friedlander and Johnston’s findings show that whales seek areas with the most krill available.

“In summertime whales are spread over the big area, however during the fall this area becomes smaller and smaller. Eventually the whales are concentrated in bays close to shore. The same goes for krill. By the end of the season all the whales and all the krill are in this aggregated area.”

The challenge, however, is that krill fisheries are also attracted to these same areas. A fishery can efficiently scoop up all the krill in an area, practices that are far from sustainable and can negatively impact the whole ecosystem.

“That’s why this kind of research can help fisheries to manage resources properly and operate on a level that doesn’t have a huge impact on the amount of the krill that is available.”

In order to study whales, scientists attach electronic tags to the animals. Depending on the type of tag, scientists can monitor whales from several days to many months. Throughout his career, Friedlaender has helped develop this type of tag technology to better understand the underwater movements and behaviors of marine mammals. In addition to electronic tags, he uses drones to take pictures of whales on the surface.

“We take pictures of the whales on the surface, and can study the length and width and the rate of change when those animals put on the weight. It gives a picture of how they behave at different times of the season and what periods and areas are critical for growth.”

Pictures of whales serve another purpose as well. Friedlaender and his fellow scientists use social media to increase awareness and understanding of the whales, the krill and the ecosystem in the Antarctic Peninsula.

Portrait interview with AWR's Chairman of the Board

Claire Christian (34), Mark Epstein's successor, is Chair of The Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund and Acting Executive Director of ASOC - The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition.

What does The Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund (AWR) mean to you?

AWR is an important initiative because it is supporting critical scientific work in one of the most rapidly changing areas on the planet. It also represents a joint effort of industry, environmental organizations, and scientists, and it is a very positive development that all of these groups can work together even though we have different perspectives.

How is the AWR important for ASOC?

ASOC believes that increasing scientific understanding of Antarctic ecosystems is vital to their continued protection, and we are pleased to be able to work with AWR to accomplish this important goal. ASOC also believes that Antarctica is the world's last great wilderness, and we are encouraged that there is a growing commitment from industry to help keep it that way.

What do you find the most interesting about Antarctica?

Antarctica is interesting because despite its harsh conditions, it still supports a diverse abundance of life. There are very few places left on earth where you can see the kind of aggregations of wildlife that we see in the Antarctic. And it is also interesting because it is so mysterious. Even with decades of scientific research, there's so much we don't know.

Your favourite Antarctic animal?

It's probably not a common choice, but I'd say Labidiaster annulatus, an Antarctic starfish. These starfish are almost 2 feet across, with fifty arms, and they can catch live prey such as krill out of the water. Starfish aren't usually so intimidating!

If you were world leader for a day, what changes would you implement?

First I'd make the precautionary approach mandatory when making decisions that affect the environment. Too often we ask for proof that the environment is being harmed before limiting human activities, rather than requiring proof that it won't be harmed. We have experienced the negative consequences of that attitude for long enough. I find it absurd that we debate how much air pollution is acceptable when breathing is so fundamental for supporting life and so many children have respiratory problems, for example. We have to rethink our decisionmaking processes.

I'd also mandate equal rights for women and allocate funding to send every child in the world to school. It's appalling to me that so many women around the world cannot exercise their basic human rights. And all children deserve an education. The world will never prosper unless we provide equal opportunities and justice for all and protect the planet.

Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?

If time travel becomes a possibility, I would want to have dinner with Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman elected to the U.S. Congress in 1968. She was also the first black person to run for president, and in her campaign she used the slogan "Unbought and Unbossed", which is possibly the best campaign slogan of all time. I think of her as a practical idealist, someone who could get results, but who never compromised her values. Her enormous courage and determination are inspirational.

What would you serve, and what would you talk about?

I always like to find out if my dinner guests have any preferences, so it's tough to say without knowing what she likes. I do make an excellent crème brûlée, however! But in terms of conversation, I would want to hear her stories about being in Congress and running for office, and her insights on today's politics. And lots of practical advice on how to advocate effectively for the issues you care about. Shirley Chisholm's memoir is decades old but still has many insights that resonate today. Her advice would be very valuable.

Ice floating in the Southern Ocean near Cierva Cove, south of Chavdar Peninsula along the west coast of Graham Land, Antarctica. Photo: Rodolfo Werner

Research filling critical knowledge gaps

The field season in Antarctica is getting closer, which means the start of the three research projects funded by the Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund’s first-ever research grants.

The scientists in the field will get close to the spectacular wildlife of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Photo: Rodolfo Werner

At an AWR hosted lunch seminar at CCAMLR-XXXIV in Hobart this October, the winning grant recipients introduced their scientific research projects. You can see the presentations here, and read more about the projects here:

Foraging range and habitat preference of non-breeding brush tail penguins

Do non-breeding Adélie, chinstrap, and gentoo penguins potentially use different habitats and feeding locations than those used by breeding penguins? That is something Dr. Andrew Lowther and his colleagues from Norwegian Polar Institute and British Antarctic Survey will explore during the summer at West Coronation Island, Signy Island and Powell Island. Lowther et al. aim to address the knowledge gap on adult, non-breeding, and therefore more mobile, birds in a region where most of the krill fishing in the Southern Ocean takes place. During the 2015-2016 field season they will collect at-sea foraging data on non-breeding adults at several different sites in the same year. These data will be collected with similar data on breeding adult penguins from each species, providing additional comparative studies on breeding and non-breeding penguins and the effects of interspecific competition between birds that are breeding versus those that are not breeding. This will contribute to a better overall understanding of the habitat and prey needs of penguins.

Andrew Lowther during the presentation of his research project on non-breeding penguins. Photo: Bob Zuur, WWF

Foraging behavior of humpback whales

Because of their enormous size, humpback whales have high energy demands that can only be met by foraging in areas where their prey are present in large numbers. As a result, humpback whales distribute themselves and move between areas of high prey abundance throughout the Antarctic feeding season. Dr. Ari Friedlander of Oregon State University and his colleague from Duke University will conduct a long-term ecological study on the foraging behavior of humpback whales around the Antarctic Peninsula. The goal is to determine how critical foraging areas relate to historic catches of krill in the region. By deploying satellite-linked time depth recording tags on whales throughout the Antarctic feeding season, the scientists aim to quantify if, when, where, and to what extent commercial fishing effort and humpback whale feeding co-occur. This information is important for managing fishing while also providing useful information on the biology and ecology of these top predators in a changing environment.

AWR's scientific advisor Rodolfo Werner presenting the project on behalf of Ari Friedlander. Photo: Bob Zuur, WWF

Ageing methodology for Antarctic krill

Unlike fish, krill lack hard parts from which age and growth can be measured, and they are too small and numerous to be tagged. To fill this gap for krill, Dr. Raouf Kilada and his colleagues from the US National Marine Fisheries Service and Australian Antarctic Division will explore a new direct ageing methodology for Antarctic krill based that looks for annual growth bands in the krill’s small and fragile eyestalk. Kilada et al. will conduct studies to validate this technique, which is based on existing technology, by comparing the eyestalk of krill to other crustaceans like shrimps and crabs. An understanding of the variability in population structure (growth, recruitment, and size at maturity) is necessary to manage the krill fishery appropriately. If shown to be robust, this technique would open up the possibility of making direct comparisons of the size at age of krill in different areas and in different time periods, increasing our knowledge of key characteristics of krill populations.

Werner handing over the AWR-penguin to Chris Reiss after his presentation on krill ageing methods. Photo: Monica Hägglund Langen

This beginning of these grant projects marks an important moment and the culmination of an enormous amount of effort by the AWR and the scientists involved. The Fund has also announced its second call for proposals which will allocate up to a total sum of USD $200,000 to fund Antarctic ecosystem research.

AWR uses a multi-step process to ensure that the best proposals are chosen, based on scientific advice from the independent Science Advisory Group, comprised of the world’s leading Antarctic scientists.

Maybe these two will be the first to welcome the AWR funded scientists to the field? Photo: Andrew Lowther

AWR announced second call for proposals

The Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund (AWR) announced  its second call for proposals which will allocate up to a total sum of USD $200,000 to fund Antarctic ecosystem research. 

 
“I am very pleased and excited to see bold new partnerships such as AWR, where scientists, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations are stepping into the void of much needed new research and monitoring in the Southern Ocean. AWR reflects the very best of CCAMLR’s original conservation intent – putting money into understanding what is needed to ensure that human activity is in harmony with the wildlife throughout the Southern Ocean ecosystem” said Mark Epstein, Chair of the AWR board and Executive Director of ASOC (The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition).

Epstein announced that the second round of funding during an AWR hosted lunch seminar at CCAMLR-XXXIV in Hobart Wednesday 28 October.  The call for proposals will be issued in mid-March of 2016 and all proposals must be received by mid-June of 2016. Also at the seminar, the winning grant recipients of the first round of funding introduced their scientific research projects:

• Dr. Christian Reiss on the development of a new direct ageing methodology for Antarctic krill.
  
• Dr. Andrew Lowther on how brush tail penguins (Adelie, chinstrap and gentoo), key consumers of krill, rely on predictable aggregations of the small crustacean in order to successfully raise and fledge chicks during their austral-summer breeding seasons.
  
• Dr. Ari Friedlander on the long-term ecological study on the foraging behavior of humpback whales around the Antarctic Peninsula, focusing on how critical foraging areas relate to historic catches of krill in the region.
  

The Science Advisory Group (SAG) of the AWR, will evaluate and prioritize scientific research proposals received by the fund to ensure they are in line with the scientific research plan, established by the SAG and that they fulfill the goal of AWR.

•  The AWR call for proposals opens in March and closes in June 2016.

• The call is made for projects in the order of USD $25,000 to USD $100,000.

• AWR’s second Call for proposals will allocate up to a total sum of USD $200,000.

Launched in February 2015, AWR is a first-of-its-kind partnership between industry, academia and non-government organizations (NGOs), to facilitate and promote research on the Antarctic ecosystem.

AWR believes that only through better understanding of the role of Antarctic krill in the Southern Ocean will it be possible to comprehensively protect the animals that depend on it for survival and ensure precautionary management of the fishery.
AWR’s founding partners include representatives of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC), WWF-Norway and Aker BioMarine.For more information, including application forms, date and criteria for AWR's next call for proposals, please see http://www.antarcticfund.org/

For more information:
Sustainability Director at Aker BioMarine, Marte Haabeth Grindaker serves as Secretary and press contact to the Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund. She can be reached at info@antarcticfund.org  +47 92 02 07 52

Rodolfo Werner: Scientific Advisor to AWR: science@antarcticfund.org +54 294 4441 277

Mark Epstein, Chair of the AWR board and Executive Director of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition: mark.epstein@asoc.org +1 202 550 4258

Presentation of inaugural grant recipients at CCAMLR

The Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund (AWR) is happy to announce that the three projects named as the Fund’s inaugural grant recipients will present their projects at CCAMLR-XXXIV in Hobart the last week of October.

Photo taken by Dr. Friedlander, who will conduct a long-term ecological study on the foraging behavior of humpback whales around the Antarctic Peninsula.

– We are very glad with the quality of the proposals.  The selected projects will contribute substantially to our understanding of the Antarctic marine ecosystem, helping us to improve our knowledge on the interactions between krill and its predators.  Only through better understanding of the role of Antarctic krill in the Southern Ocean can we comprehensively protect the animals that depend on it for survival and ensure precautionary management of the fishery, said Dr. Rodolfo Werner, Scientific Advisor to the AWR.

Scientists from five different countries will study whales, penguins and krill thanks to grants awarded to three groups of researchers by the AWR:

Dr. Christian Reiss (US National Marine Fisheries Service), Dr. Raouf Kilada (University of New Brunswick) and Dr. So Kawaguchi (Australian Antarctic Division) will develop a new direct ageing methodology for Antarctic krill.

Dr Andrew Lowther, Dr Christian Lydersen and Professor Kit Kovacs (Norwegian Polar Institute), Dr Phil Trathan and Dr Norman Ratcliffe (British Antarctic Survey) will explore how brush tail penguins (Adelie, chinstrap and gentoo), key consumers of krill, rely on predictable aggregations of the small crustacean in order to successfully raise and fledge chicks during their austral-summer breeding seasons.

Dr. Ari Friedlander (Oregon State University) and David W. Johnston (Duke University) are conducting a long-term ecological study on the foraging behavior of humpback whales around the Antarctic Peninsula, focusing on how critical foraging areas relate to historic catches of krill in the region.

AWR invites CCAMLR-XXXIV delegates and secretariat staff to a lunch seminar introducing the scientific research projects funded by AWR in its first call for proposals Wednesday 28 October in the CCAMLR meeting room.

Mark Epstein, Chair of the AWR board and Executive Director of ASOC (The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition), Dr. Werner, Dr Lowther, Dr Reiss and some of the AWR board members and scientists in AWR’s Science Advisory Group (SAG) will be present at the luncheon and introduction.

For more information:

Monica Hägglund Langen works part time as information advisor to the AWR. She will be attending CCAMLR-XXXIV and can be reached at info@antarcticfund.org or +47 90 85 51 40

Sustainability Director at Aker BioMarine, Marte Haabeth Grindaker serves as Secretary and press contact to the AWR. She can be reached at info@antarcticfund.org or +47 92 02 07 52