Abundance and distribution of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) nearshore of Cape Shirreff, Livingston Island, Antarctica, during six austral summers between 2000 and 2007

Abstract

Abundance and distribution of Antarctic krill ( Euphausia superba ) in the nearshore waters north of Livingston Island, Antarctica, were characterized from six small-boat surveys conducted in late January or early February from 2000 to 2007. The first three surveys (2000, 2002, 2004) were conducted using a 120 kHz split-beam echosounder to measure water column acoustic backscatter. The last three surveys (2005–2007) were conducted using 38 kHz and 200 kHz single-beam echosounders. A portion of the acoustic backscatter was attributed to Antarctic krill based on the results of net tows, underwater video observations, and a multiple-frequency acoustic classification algorithm. The annual mean krill biomass density in the survey area ranged from 11 to 84 g·m–2. Results are compared with the western Scotia Sea area of the US Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) program’s acoustic surveys of krill biomass density for the same years. Nearshore krill biomass densities were significantly larger (t test, p < 0.05), more stable, and the coefficients of variation were smaller than the much larger AMLR surveys. Increased competition between seals, penguins, and humans for the nearshore krill resource, especially during the austral summer months, could impact the recruitment success of these land-based krill predators. Implications of nearshore krill biomass on small-scale management units are discussed.