Dr. Volker Siegel, Thünen Institut, Deutschland
Info
Very special thanks for the first photos of the important Ice Krill (Euphausia crystallorophias) to Dr. Jan Andries van Franeker, Wageningen Marine Research, Netherlands and Dr. Volker Siegel, Thünen Institut, Hamburg, Germany!
The ice krill is a small shrimp-like crustacean of the family Euphausiidae. These crustaceans come in huge swarms, along with other species of krill, such as the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) in icecold waters, like for example the Ross Sea of the Antarctica.
The ice krill is slightly smaller than the Antarctic krill, the females of the ice krill remain slightly smaller than the males.
Krill belongs to the zooplankton and is an extraordinary important part of the diet of whales, penguins, seals, seabirds and fish. Krill has a real key function within the food chain, due to, amongst other things, its high percentage of Omega-3 fatty acids and Omega-6 fatty acids, as well as many effective antioxidants. Also in the area of seawater aquaria, krill, used mostly as frozen food, is a very much used food for tropical fish and invertebrates.
Nowadays krill is also used for the manufacture of food supplements. Krill oil can be used for heart and vascular disease, chronic inflammation in the gastric-intestinal area, joint problems and other illnesses.
Humankind must increasingly ensure that the stocks of krill are not mercilessly fished out. Global warming, which goes hand in hand with the increase of the sea temperatures and the persistent negative effects on the marine fauna, must be urgently stopped, as they are all creatures within the food chain, and therefore mankind is also sustainable negatively affected.
The ice krill is a small shrimp-like crustacean of the family Euphausiidae. These crustaceans come in huge swarms, along with other species of krill, such as the Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) in icecold waters, like for example the Ross Sea of the Antarctica.
The ice krill is slightly smaller than the Antarctic krill, the females of the ice krill remain slightly smaller than the males.
Krill belongs to the zooplankton and is an extraordinary important part of the diet of whales, penguins, seals, seabirds and fish. Krill has a real key function within the food chain, due to, amongst other things, its high percentage of Omega-3 fatty acids and Omega-6 fatty acids, as well as many effective antioxidants. Also in the area of seawater aquaria, krill, used mostly as frozen food, is a very much used food for tropical fish and invertebrates.
Nowadays krill is also used for the manufacture of food supplements. Krill oil can be used for heart and vascular disease, chronic inflammation in the gastric-intestinal area, joint problems and other illnesses.
Humankind must increasingly ensure that the stocks of krill are not mercilessly fished out. Global warming, which goes hand in hand with the increase of the sea temperatures and the persistent negative effects on the marine fauna, must be urgently stopped, as they are all creatures within the food chain, and therefore mankind is also sustainable negatively affected.
