search
krill
Trends
- 1Chinstrap penguin numbers falling on remote Zavodovski Island●[Science News] Zavodovski Island, a remote, uninhabited volcanic island located between South America and Antarctica, is
Zavodovski Island, an uninhabited volcanic island in the Scotia Sea between South America and Antarctica, hosts a large chinstrap penguin colony that is steadily declining. Scientists link the drop to shrinking krill abundance in surrounding waters, as warming conditions and fishing pressure reduce the penguins' main food source.
- 2
A question circulating online asks which species holds the most biomass on Earth, with humans far from the top of the list. Estimates commonly point to organisms such as Antarctic krill, ants or earthworms as outweighing humanity's combined mass, a comparison that often surprises readers and fuels debate about humanity's outsized footprint relative to its actual weight.
- 3Antarctic krill fishery closes early again, fuelling Southern Ocean debate▼Antarctic krill fishery closes early again, fuelling debate over the future of the Southern Ocean
The Antarctic krill fishery has closed early for a second time, prompting renewed debate over how the Southern Ocean should be managed. Conservation groups and parts of the fishing industry are at odds over krill catch limits and the protections needed for penguins, seals and whales that depend on krill.
- 4Chinstrap penguin colony on Zavodovski Island declines 63%▼Chinstrap penguins are vanishing: Zavodovski Island, world’s largest penguin colony, suffers 63% decline
Zavodovski Island, home to the world's largest chinstrap penguin colony, has recorded a 63% drop in its penguin population. The steep decline in the Antarctic species is drawing attention to warming seas and shifting food supplies, particularly krill, which chinstrap penguins depend on. Conservationists warn the figures point to broader ecological change across the Antarctic Peninsula region.