Krillin' in the California Current

Join Point Blue Conservation Science’s (PBCS) marine laboratory team to see how they study krill. Krill, also known as euphausiids, are marine crustaceans and an important part of the zooplankton community ??"the animal drifters of the ocean. Krill are prey for so many marine wildlife, including fish, birds, and whales. The blue whale, the largest animal on the planet, is a krill specialist, consuming 2??"4 tons of krill every day! While krill are small, they are not simple. They spend their days in deep ocean waters and then migrate to the surface at night to feed. The species and age classes of krill are closely linked to ocean conditions and have a large impact on the marine ecosystem.

PBCS’s krill research is part of the ACCESS Program (the Applied California Current Ecosystem Studies), a partnership among PBCS, the Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, and many other collaborators to conduct ocean research in Northern and Central California. Results on krill and other data collected during the ACCESS at-sea surveys inform resource managers, policy makers, and conservation partners. Find out more about this private/public partnership. And stop by and learn how the PBCS team identifies these small zooplankton and what we can learn about the ocean from krill.