Antarctic Krill

A tiny crustacean that weighs less than a paperclip, krill swim by the billions in the Antarctic seas. The total weight of Antarctic krill is likely more than the total weight of all the people on earth. They are indispensable in the food chain. Without krill, most life forms in the Antarctic would disappear: seals, albatrosses and petrels, penguins, whales. Antarctic krill stocks have dropped by 80 percent since the 1970s because of global warming and overfishing for use in fish meal, pet food, and vitamin supplements. If overharvesting continues it could cause a collapse in the ocean’s ecology.

The New York Times, National Geographic, PNAS

WHAT YOU CAN DO

• Avoid supplements or products containing krill oil, and choose plant-based omega-3 alternatives like algae oil instead.

• Reduce your carbon footprint where you can since climate warming and sea-ice loss are the biggest threats to krill.

• Cut back on single-use plastics and dispose of waste properly, helping prevent microplastic pollution that accumulates in the Antarctic food web.

• Support organizations working to expand marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean, which safeguard krill feeding grounds under melting sea ice.

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND HOW TO HELP

Visit:

• Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) Conserving Antarctic Krill campaign

• Oceanites

• Pew Antarctic Krill Conservation Project

• Antarctic Wildlife Research Fund