On hearing krill oil, our first impression will always be in a question. What is Krill? Krill is a euphausiid shrimp in the Antarctic with biomass of 500 million tons which double the size of human beings. Krill feeds microscopic plants and small animals. It is commonly produced from free-floating eggs nurtured in larval and juvenile stages before becoming into adults. The presence of krill in the Antarctic is essential as they are the ones that give life to other water species and that what makes them the keystone species. Krill is the source of krill oil.

Antarctica is consists of 125 million tons to 6 billion tons of krill and is considered as the largest among the species of 85 with pink and opaque in color. A group of krill stays away from Humpback whales or other predators the reason why they live in as deep as 350 feet . They hide deep in the sea to protect themselves. The group of krill is extensive enough that they are visible as far as hundred millions away.  They feed themselves of ice algae from ice loss removes which is common in Antarctic.

United States, Russia, Japan, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile are just the mentioned countries included in the other 25 nations as members of CCAMLR founded in 1982, the treaty organization of Antarctic Ocean is responsible in protecting the krill from immature cultivation. Krill can survive up to life-span duration of 10 years despite of its small and heavy look. Krill is seen important to other crustaceans as they rely their survival on krill as marine food such as salmon, seabirds, rockfish and whales. The mission of the treaty to defend krill was seen essential for the benefit of both species.

Krill is commonly visible in the Gulf of Farallones mostly a type of krill species  called  Thysanoessa that swarms in shallow water and Euphausia pacifica in deeper waters.  The presence of seabirds flocking in the Gulf or when humpback whales breathe is a hint of the krill’s abundance.

As mentioned by Dan Howard, Euphausia pacifica is swarming in the cold water by night and warm water by day providing the krill a lot of benefits aside from the fact that krill can defend themselves from daytime predators while collecting food, krill can also expand their energy level resulting to successful hatching of their larvae thus, increasing their survival. The deep scattering layer is a sign for fisherman that Krill is moving upward at night and returning in the depth of the sea by day. Krill’s life is then ruled by day and night time.

Ecosystem’s life endurance depends on the presence of krill. The shrimp-like crustacean produces energy in the system and they grow from millions of tons giving full life to the whole system as noted on the research of scientists, Dr. Valerie Loeb.

Krill is part of marine’s food web. This creature gives life to animals living in the ocean, without krill the marine ecosystem will disappear in the Antarctica. The creation of treaty is for the benefit of all creatures living in the ocean protecting the whole system as well. What is krill? This question has been answered briefly. Called in its scientific name as Euphausia pacifica, a shrimp-like crustacean responsible in keeping the whole marine ecosystem alive. The treaty is then obliged to keep the production active allotting healthy krill for the Antarctic Ocean.