Modelling Movement of Antarctic Krill (MMAK): the importance of retention, dispersal and behaviour for krill distribution

Effective management of the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba, hereafter krill) fishery requires an understanding of the controls on the distribution and abundance of krill.  Particularly important are the pathways and timescales of movement and retention affecting krill distribution at scales relevant to the fishery and predators.  This paper reports the initiation of a project that will use numerical ocean-sea ice models at differing resolutions to improve current understanding of the regional and local-scale processes that influence the distribution of krill in CCAMLR Area 48.  Modelling will focus on the South Orkney Islands region, an area that is crucial for determining the overall availability of krill across the Scotia Sea region.  The results will help inform WG-EMM activities on the development of feedback management procedures and provide the present-day context for considering the potential impacts of climate change on this regional system.