June 10, 2015
Farallon Institute scientists recently published a study in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series describing krill aggregations in the California Current. We used an individual-based model to simulate krill populations and explore the physical conditions that lead to krill aggregation. Two regions that were identified as important regions of krill aggregation (South of Point Sur and Monterey Canyon) are also known regions of importance for top krill predators (seabirds and whales). You can find more information here.
Above: Hotspots are identified from (a) spring and (b) summer model runs. The size of the markers indicates the number of days the location was identified as a significant hotspot ranging from a maximum of 45 days (largest marker) to a minimum of 10 days (smallest marker). Grey patches are hotspots identified from acoustic data. Isobaths shown are 200, 1000, and 2000 meters depth.