Preliminary results from a krill net sampling survey in CCAMLR Area 48.1 in 1989/90 season

In December 1989/January 1990 main krill concentrations along the Antarctic Peninsula occurred NE and SE of Elephant Island, north of the South Shetland Islands, in the central Bransfield Strait and in the SW shelf waters. Mean biomass was 10.1 tonnes per nautical square mile, i.e. an estimated stock biomass of 950,000 tonnes. The zooplankton, however, was dominated by salps in the entire region.

The krill stock consisted of subadult and adult stages. Nain concentrations of gravid females were detected north of the South Shetland Islands. No spawning occurred in the Bransfield Strait and in nearshore waters of the SW shelf regions. Juvenile age group 1+ was almost absent from all samples, indicating a poor 1988/89 year-class.