November 16, 2004
11/16 - Krill Krash? Pretty krazy if true
Nature reports this week that Antarctic krill have declined by 80% in the past twenty five years, however ...
"Some scientists are skeptical of the study's conclusions. Krill expert Steve Nicol of the Australian Antarctic Division questioned whether Antarctic krill, with a biomass once estimated topping one billion tons, were really down by such enormous numbers. "Could we really have lost 900 million tons of krill without anyone noticing? I don't think so," he said. "You would expect to see most of the predators in decline, and that doesn't appear to be happening." He said the krill could be vastly underestimated because of the difficulty in tracking the creatures as they migrate and are tossed about through the vast seas."
Krill: an increasingly less common sight in Antarctica.