Why scientists have the tiny antarctic krill of space

Scientists say that subtle differences in seawater color will allow them to count tiny marine creatures – but of crucial – antarctic, space.

The target of the new research effort is the Antarctic Krill, which is only a few centimeters long and one of the most abundant and important animals on the planet.

Marine fauna – including whales, penguins, seals and sea birds – all feed on these diminutive creatures.

However, conservation scientists fear that fishing and climate change can have a negative impact on them and say that we need new ways to monitor creatures.

“The Antarctic Krill is superheroes of the Southern Ocean,” said Rod Downie, polar chief advisor to the WWF-UK wildlife organization.

“These are tiny little -known heroes who support an incredible marine life, but climate change and unbearable fishing endanger them.”

Researchers from the University of Strathclyde, WWF and British Antarctic Survey (Low) are developing a new way of using satellites to determine the number of Krill in the ocean around Antarctica.

The key lies in subtle differences in the amount of light water – depending on the number of krill swimming there.

Dr. Cait McCarry, of the University of Strathclyde, has just returned from a trip to Antarctica, where she caught Krill in order to measure this effect.

“We start with seawater, then we add a Krill and take a measurement [of how much light the water absorbs]”She explained.” Then we add another Krill and take another measure. “”

This analysis of the way in which Krill’s density modifies the color of the ocean, according to the researchers, allow them to take snapshots of the Krill population of satellites – supervising the population of space.

The Krill is food for some of the largest animals on the planet – including giant whales that migrate thousands of kilometers, in Antarctica, to feed on them.

They are also the foundation of a healthy ocean – part of a virtuous cycle: whales eat krill, the krill eat microscopic plants that live in sea ice and these plants absorb carbon warming the planet as they grow. When the whales are poop (in large quantities), which fertilizes the seaweed plants by planet.

However, as ocean temperatures increase with global warming, conservation scientists fear that this cycle can be disrupted and that the Krill could be vulnerable.

Downie said: “We need to better manage fishing and protect Krill’s habitats in a network of protected sea areas.

“”[This project could] Give us a new tool to help monitor and protect this vital species. “”