Hydrographic parameters major influence on krill

A study on the distribution, maturity and population structure of krill in relation to main hydrographic regions around Iceland was recently published in PLoS ONE. Authors are Teresa Silva, PhD Student at MFRI, Ástþór Gíslason, specialist at MFRI, Ólafur S. Ástþórsson, specialist at MFRI, and Guðrún Marteinsdóttir, Professor at the Factulty of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Iceland.

The study showed that hydrographic parameters, particularly temperature and underlying bathymetry, had a major role in influencing the distribution, reproductive behaviour and population structure of two key species, M. norvegica and T. inermis, around Iceland. The influence of warm and productive Atlantic water, in particular, appeared to be important in the development and life cycles of these species. Our data provide important contemporary baselines for ongoing ecosystem and food web studies in this region, and highlight the requirement for elucidating the environmental mechanisms influencing the distribution and ecology of krill species around Iceland to underpin effective ecosystem-based management strategies in the region.

The study can be found on the PLoS ONE website.