Antarctic Krill Alter Behavior in Response to Penguin Guano Chemical Cues
New research reveals that exposure to Adélie penguin guano triggers evasive swimming and reduced feeding in krill, highlighting predator-prey dynamics in the Southern Ocean.
- Antarctic krill exhibit frantic zigzag swimming and increased speed when exposed to chemical cues in Adélie penguin guano.
- Krill reduced their feeding rates by 64% in the presence of guano, consuming significantly less algae compared to normal conditions.
- Researchers hypothesize that the behavioral changes are an avoidance response to chemical signals indicating predator presence.
- Adélie penguins, whose diet is over 99% krill, produce guano containing chemical cues from digested krill, potentially signaling danger to nearby krill.
- The study raises concerns about how environmental changes, such as ocean warming and acidification, might disrupt these predator-prey interactions in the Southern Ocean.
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