Energetics of the Adults and Larvae of the Antarctic Krill Euphausia superba

本研究对南极磷虾Euphausia Superba成虫和幼虫的能量学进行了研究，重点是量化冰生物群在磷虾幼体越冬存活中的作用。观察到越冬期间幼虫生理条件的年际差异可能会导致幼虫存活率的差异，从而导致任何一年龄幼虫强度的差异。将研究初冬和晚冬期间导致这种差异的过程。在夏季浮游植物大量繁殖后的秋季，食物供应不足表明，初冬的幼虫将经历几个月的接近饥饿的条件。如果没有额外的食物来源，如海冰下面的冰生物群，这些幼虫可能无法存活过冬。然而，在大冰年的晚冬，幼虫在冰下将有这种额外的食物来源，并且可能比初冬处于更好的生理条件。将比较开放水域和冰下的环境条件，并对其进行采样，以确定它们的生理状况。在为期两个月的南大洋航行中，冰生物群对幼虫总能量需求的营养贡献将被量化。拟议的研究将解决有关磷虾幼体越冬能量的几个重要问题，特别是冰生物群在越冬生存和随后的补充中所起的作用。

This research on the energetics of the adults and larvae of the Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba, is focused on quantification of the role of ice biota in winter-over survival of krill larvae. Observed interannual differences in physiological condition of the larvae during the winter could lead to differences in survival of the young-of-the-year, and thus in the strength of any one year class. Processes underlying such differences during early and late winter will be studied. Low food availability in the fall after the summer phytoplankton blooms suggests that larvae in early winter will have experienced several months of near starvation conditions. Without an additional food source such as ice biota in the underside of the sea ice these larvae may not survive the winter. However, larvae under the ice in late winter of a heavy ice year will have had this additional food source, and may be in better physiological condition than the beginning of the winter. Environmental conditions in open water and under ice will be compared and will be sampled to determine their physiological condition. The nutritional contribution of the ice biota to total energy demand of the larvae on two month-long cruises to the Southern Ocean will be quantified. The proposed research will address several significant questions about the winter-over energetics of larval krill, in particular the role of ice biota in winter-over survival and subsequent recruitment.