Climate Change
Scientists Call for More Marine Protected Areas in the Southern Ocean
As climate change and commercial fishing threaten krill, the crustaceans that fuel Antarctica’s entire food web, scientists and advocates say those responsible for protecting Antarctica’s marine life are failing.
When Antarctic krill swarm, the semi-transparent shrimp-like crustaceans join together in the millions or trillions, forming dense coral-colored underwater clouds as they swim in sync with one another and traverse frigid ocean currents. Some of these swarms are so large they can be seen from space, extending for miles near the ocean’s surface and hundreds of feet below, attracting predators from land, sea and sky.
Scientists Call for More Marine Protected Areas in the Southern Ocean