Examining the Connectivity of Antarctic Krill on the West Antarctic Peninsula: Implications for Pygoscelis Penguin Biogeography and Population Dynamics

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) are considered a keystone species for higher trophic level predators along the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) during the austral summer. The connectivity of these populations may play a critical role in predator biogeography, especially for central-place foragers...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gallagher, Katherine L., Dinniman, Michael S., Lynch, Heather J.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: ODU Digital Commons 2023
Subjects:
Pygoscelis penguins
Adélie gap
Antarctic krill
Propulation connectivity
Regional Ocean Modeling System
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Marine Biology
Oceanography
Antarctic
Antarctic Peninsula
Austral
Antarc*
Antarctic Krill
Euphausia superba
Online Access:https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/ccpo_pubs/383
https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-2508180/v1
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/context/ccpo_pubs/article/1387/viewcontent/Dinniman_2023_ExaminingtheConnectivityofAntarcticKrillOCR.pdf
Description
Summary:Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) are considered a keystone species for higher trophic level predators along the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) during the austral summer. The connectivity of these populations may play a critical role in predator biogeography, especially for central-place foragers such as the Pygoscelis penguins that breed along the WAP during the austral summer. Here, we used a physical ocean model to examine adult krill connectivity in this region using simulated krill with realistic diel vertical migration behaviors across four austral summers. Specifically, we examined krill connectivity around the Adélie gap, a 400 km long region along the WAP with a distinct absence of Adélie penguin colonies, to determine if krill population connectivity around this feature played a role in its persistence. Our results indicate that krill populations north and south of the Adélie gap are nearly isolated from each other and that persistent current features play a role in this inter-region connectivity, or lack thereof. Our results indicate that simulated krill released within the Adélie gap are quickly advected from the region, suggesting that the lack of local krill recruit retention may play a role in the persistence of this biogeographic feature.

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