Dr. Andrew Constable awarded 2008 Pew Fellowship in marine co...(gion the coldest and windiest place on e...)

Date:2/5/2008

gion, the coldest and windiest place on earth. Krill are also increasingly sought by commercial fishing fleets for rising use in fish-food, pharmaceutical applications, and human consumption. The Southern Ocean surrounds Antarctica and has the most prolific krill populations in the world. There is rising concern that the dual threats of climate change and overfishing will lead to krills collapse and perilous impacts to the ecosystem.

Dr. Constables computer-based models for the krill fishery will incorporate ever-changing ecosystem characteristics, and as those characteristics change over time, so can the management plans. For example, if warmer than normal waters occur, or whales have fewer offspring, or krill abundance rises, fishing restrictions can be tightened or loosened as appropriate. This type of nimble, adaptive, and broadly informed management model promotes environmentally sustainable growth of the industry.

Krill is an essential component of the entire Antarctic food web, Dr. Constable said. Given the imminent expansion of the krill fishery, it is urgent to design an effective and inclusive management strategy and be sure that it will achieve conservation objectives.

The Southern Ocean is marked by the worlds most powerful currents, intense cold-water upwelling, and a convergence of subtropical and polar waters, factors that have a profound effect on climate, marine life, and ice. Krill in the region has been fished commercially for more than 25 years. As krills economic importance increases, the fishery is now expanding, along with fears that krill could be easily overharvested. The fleet now comprises much larger, more sophisticated fishing vessels.

Concern over the impact on populations of krill and other Southern Ocean marine life led to the 1981 adoption of The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. That international agreement recognizes krills centrality to the Antarctic food w
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Contact: Kathryn Cervino kcervino@miami.edu 212-756-0042 University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science Source:Eurekalert

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