Small marine crustaceans are as valuable as key coastal habitats for storing carbon and should be similarly protected, according to new research.
Small marine crustaceans are as valuable as key coastal habitats for storing carbon and should be similarly protected, according to new research.
The study shows that a single species, Antarctic krill, store similar amounts of carbon to key ‘blue carbon’ habitats such as mangroves, saltmarshes and seagrasses.
However, krill are also impacted by global heating and potential overfishing, so should be considered for similar protections as other important habitats, say the researchers.
Krill are eaten by larger animals in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica such as whales, seals and penguins, but are also fished for food and fishing bait, and for use in aquaculture and dietary supplements.
Read more at Imperial College London
Image: Illustration of krill in the Southern Ocean ecosystem (Credit: Artist: Glynn Gorick, reproduced from Hill et al.2024)(https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1307402)
