Ecological basis of exploitation of the resources of Antarctic krill

• Main Author: Lubimova, T.G.
• Language: English
• Published: 1983
• Subjects: Antarctic; Southern Ocean; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctic Krill; Memoirs of National Institute of Polar Research; Polar Research
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/record/1446/files/KJ00000012080.pdf

P(論文) The analysis of long-term Soviet investigations and literary data have revealed two natural zones in the Antarctic region of the Southern Ocean : A zone of open Antarctic Waters and a zone of drifting ice, which differ by climatic and ice conditions, the distribution patterns of physico-chemical characteristics, biogenic elements, water masses, horizontal and vertical circulation as well as by the character and rhythm of bioproductive processes at the initial level of the production cycle. The series of the differences is, to a considerable extent, responsible for characteristics of the qualitative and quantitative composition of communities, particularly of dominating species in each natural zone. The Antarctic krill is an important link in the trophic structure of the epipelagic community of marine organisms in the natural zone of drifting ice which is the area of its domination. Taking into account peculiarities of the production cycles in this zone the conclusion can be made that a certain part of the krill production is not used. The estimated value of the amount taken by consumers is not equivalent to the value of annual production of krill. The annual production is estimated to be 24-47g/m^2 in the area where krill dominates and it is equal to 15 million (km)^2,consequently the total annual production is 360-700 million t and the annual amount eaten by principal consumers is a little over 200 million t. departmental bulletin paper