Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Modeling Studies Of Antarctic Krill (Euphausia Superba) Survival During Transport Across The Scotia Sea And Environs, Bettina Andrea Fach

OES Theses and Dissertations

The Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) populations at South Georgia, which is in the eastern Scotia Sea, are hypothesized to be sustained by import of individuals from upstream regions, such as the western Antarctic Peninsula. To test this hypothesis a modeling framework consisting of the Harvard Ocean Prediction System (HOPS) and a time-dependent, size-structured, physiologically-based krill growth model was developed. The simulated circulation fields obtained from HOPS were used with drifter studies to determine regions and pathways that allow transport of Antarctic krill to South Georgia. Pelagic phytoplankton concentrations along the simulated drifter trajectories were extracted from historical Coastal …