The Antarctic Marine Living The Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR) ProgramResources (AMLR) Program

National Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationNational Marine Fisheries ServiceNational Marine Fisheries Service

Southwest Fisheries Science CenterSouthwest Fisheries Science Center

The AMLR team, 2010

The AMLR team is a group of scientists dedicated to preserving natural resources in Antarctica for future generations.

The History of the AMLR Program

• The long history of mostly unregulated harvesting activities in Antarctic waters has already contributed to the over exploitation of Antarctic fish and marine mammal stocks.

• Exploitation began in the early 1800’s with Antarctic fur seals and southern elephant seals; both were driven to near extinction by the turn of the century.

• Established in 1982 in response to concerns that increasing krill fishing activities could have a deleterious impact on the Southern Ocean ecosystem, the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) is an international treaty between 25 nations that seeks to manage Antarctic fisheries with the goal of preserving species diversity and stability of the entire Antarctic marine ecosystem.

• AMLR scientists study a tiny but important organism called krill, which is an important part of the diet of fish, penguins, whales, seals, and many other animals.

• If people take too much krill from the oceans, there won’t be any left to feed other animals.

The Antarctic

ecosystem

Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba

Antarctic fur seal, Arctocephalus gazella

How is krill used?

• People use krill to make nutritional supplements, especially Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

• Krill are used as feed in fish farms, and as bait in sports fishing.

• People eat krill in Russia and Japan. In Japan it is called okiami.

Photo: http://www.nature4less.com

Can you guess why these penguin

colonies have a pink color?

(Hint…)

For our penguin experts:

What are the three species of penguin

pictured here?

Answers:

Gentoo

Chinstrap

Adèlie

Where do AMLR scientists go?

• The AMLR study area is near the northern tip of the Antarctic peninsula.

• Gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins and Adèlie penguins are common here.

• Emperor penguins are found closer to the South Pole.

Map: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Antarctica.svg

This biologist is looking through seal poop (scat) for tiny fish bones called otoliths.

Otoliths are clues to what kind of fish the seal ate, and how big the fish were.Why do you think this is important?

Whether working on the ship… …or working at the field camps

AMLR scientists get to witness exciting moments….

..and have adventures in

the cold

AMLR scientists study animals

of all sizes, from tiny to

HUGE!

The Copacabana field station,

where scientists study penguins and

other birds

A rare glimpse of the ocean floor in Antarctica, taken with a special underwater camera designed by AMLR scientists.

The end.

Bye!