WWF Australia have published a report ‘Antarctic krill: Powerhouse of the Southern Ocean’ to highlight the critical role krill have in maintaining ecosystem health. A key part of the report was to estimate the value of krill in ‘blue carbon’, storing carbon in the ocean away from the atmosphere.
I worked with my colleague Dr Neill Mackay at the University of Exeter, to calculate the deep ocean krill faecal pellet carbon sink and worked out how long krill pellet carbon might remain in the deep by analysing ocean circulation patterns. Our analysis focused on the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean where krill populations are high, finding that krill here contribute billions of dollars worth in carbon sequestration value. The report was presented to delegates at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources annual meeting this year (October 2022) to help provide scientific support for protecting important krill habitats.
