When people think of the ocean, they think of the vast blue abyss that covers over 75% of the Earth upon which we live.  They think of the ferocious shark, the playful dolphin, the curious seal and sea lion, and the gentle giants that are whales.  These species and others have been the face of the ocean, the species that always come to mind first because of how they have been marketed in the media.  What about krill?  Specifically, euphausia superba: Antarctic krill.  This shrimp-like creature is only 2" in length, but it is the main food source of Adelie, chinstrap, and gentoo penguins, all baleen whales, and Weddell and elephant seals to name a few (National Geographic, Krill).

Original: McKenna Cox.  Antarctic krill are being affected by many different outside sources which is leading to their overall decrease with no real population recovery in sight.

This website is meant to to educate the public on these fascinating little creatures and also to discuss the dangers of climate change.  As weird as it is to think about, the Antarctic environment is a very stable one for it does not vary much in temperature.  It is always cold and has a low seasonality, much like how habitats at the equator are always warm.  This stable environment makes it particularly sensitive to climate change because a 1 degree change or a lower pH could have very damaging effects on the species that call the Antarctic home, like the little krill.  Also, with the antarctic krill being thus affected by climate change, this has damaging reprucussions for the rest of the Antarctic food web because Antartic krill serve as the bridge between the the primary producers (the photosynthesizers that capture the sun's energy) and the big consumers like birds, seals, and whales.  The krill is the true superstar of this system, for if they disappear, many species will have to find a new and very abundant source of food in order to be able to survive.