Data from the 2006 BROKE-West voyage of the Aurora Australis captures instantaneous growth rates (IGR) for Antarctic krill. The Australian Antarctic Data Centre collected measurements from over 4000 individual krill maintained in onboard experiments for up to 5 days post-capture. This work was completed as part of ASAC projects 2655 and 2679.
Use Cases
- Model krill growth rates by analyzing the relationship between pre-moult and post-moult uropod length measurements.
- Study the effect of ambient ocean temperature on inter-moult period and growth increment across the sampled population.
- Investigate individual growth variability using data points from over 4000 krill tracked over a 5-day experimental period.
Strengths
- Experimental data from over 4000 individual krill provides a substantial sample size.
- Measurements include precise biological metrics like uropod lengths from both moults and post-moult animals.
Limitations
- Data is from a single voyage in 2006, limiting temporal and seasonal representation.
- No information on krill age, sex, or nutritional state is provided in the description, which could affect growth analysis.
- Experiments lasted only up to 5 days post-capture, which may not capture full inter-moult cycles.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC) via NASA Earthdata.
- Collection Method
- Krill were caught with an RMT-8 net, individually jarred in a flow-through seawater system, and checked daily for moults; moults and animals were frozen for later length measurement.
- Time Range
- 2006
- Freshness
- 2006-03-05
- Geography
- Southern Ocean region covered by the BROKE-West voyage of the Aurora Australis.