Why are Krill Important

Krill provide a direct link between primary producers (phytoplankton) and larger consumers in the Antartic food web (Leob et al. 1997).  Therefore they serves as basis of many specie's food chain.  They are a versatile crustacean that are able to consume a wide variety of food choices based on availability (Hempel 1987).  Krill have been regarded as a pivotal species in the antarctic ecosystem.  In terms of biomass, Antarctic Krill constitute the the most abundant animal species on the planet, with an estimated biomass of up to 500 million metric tonnes (Nicol and Endo 1997).  In addition to their abundance and widespread distribution, they are consumed by many large mammal species such as most cetaceans (whales), penguins, other sea birds and many seal species.  Also, many marine fish, such as cod, consume krill that are in turn are consumed by the species listed previously.    Krill provide the link between phytoplankton and zooplankton- both the basis for all marine life- and larger species which are unable to these microscopic creatures.   Euphausia superba allow the access of marine life to high productivity characteristic of the Southern Ocean- providing a vital trophic level connection.

Sources: Brettina Meyer, Alfred Wegener Institute, Germany (2009)