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Interactions between vertical migration and local oceanography drive microplastic exposure for Antarctic krill
Summary
Scientists used computer models to track how tiny plastic bits and Antarctic krill (a shrimp-like creature that's a key food source in ocean food chains) move through the water near Antarctica, finding certain "hotspot" areas where krill are especially likely to encounter microplastics. Since krill are eaten by fish, penguins, whales, and other animals, and eventually make their way up the food chain, understanding where this plastic exposure happens most is an important step toward figuring out how microplastics might work their way toward the seafood many people eat.
Euphausiids play important roles in ecosystems worldwide, transferring energy from primary producers to secondary consumers. Antarctic krill are the most abundant euphausiid on Earth and play important roles as critically important species in Southern Ocean ecosystems. Microplastics have been found throughout the Southern Ocean ecosystem, including krill. Here, we examine where krill and microplastics interact throughout the coastal ocean of the West Antarctic Peninsula. Using a physical ocean model to simulate the transport of vertically migrating krill and drifting microplastics, we identified several hotspots around the Antarctic Peninsula where both are consistently found in higher than average abundances. The extent of the overlap was modulated by both currents in the near-surface (< 50 m) and deep (> 50 m) ocean, and the vertical migration behaviors of Antarctic krill. Therefore, in order to understand the impacts of microplastics, we need to evaluate overlap in the context of euphausiid behavior and oceanographic conditions.