Using satellites to count krill

Antarctic krill (small shrimp-like creatures) are an important food for larger animals such as penguins, seals, and whales. An estimated 700 trillion krill live in the ocean around Antarctica, but fishing and climate change may be affecting their numbers. Counting them accurately is a mind-boggling task, yet scientists have found a way. The new method involves studying how the number of krill changes the amount of light seawater absorbs—a process that affects the color of the water. Researchers collected krill to study this effect. Cait McCarry from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland said, “We start with seawater, then we add in a krill and take a measurement [of how much light the water absorbs]. Then we add another krill and take another measurement.” The scientists will use this information…

You're reading a preview of

The Week Junior US (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 257

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.