Australian Antarctic Division to fly thousands of krill from Antarctica to Hobart

THOUSANDS of live krill will be flown from Antarctica to Australia as part of a bold plan by the Australian Antarctic Division.

Australian Antarctic Division krill biologist Rob King with a beaker of krill.

THOUSANDS of live krill will be flown from Antarctica to Australia as part of a bold plan by the Australian Antarctic Division.

Scientists are trialling an aerial transport method using a Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster to fly 10,000 krill in 1000 litre containers from Wilkins Aerodrome, near Australia’s Casey research station, to Hobart.

AAD krill biologist Rob King said the krill could arrive in Hobart in as little as a day-and-a-half after being caught in the Southern Ocean, compared to a six-week time frame on Australia’s icebreaker the Aurora Australis.

After the four-and-a-half hour flight to Hobart the krill would be transported to the AAD’s aquarium.

“This is the first time anyone has attempted to fly krill back from Antarctica,” Mr King said.

“Using eggs direct from the Southern Ocean for our research will give us a clearer and more accurate picture of what’s actually happening in wild populations.

“It will provide a wonderful opportunity to undertake research on krill in prime condition and particularly females, which are laden with eggs.”

The krill will be collected from the Aurora Australis near Casey research station, with the containers to transferred by sled to Wilkins Aerodrome.

Mr King said the tanks would be pumped with oxygen and wrapped in a thermal blanket so they did not freeze on the two-hour journey across the ice cap, where temperatures can drop as low as -30C.

AAD Operations Manager Robb Clifton said the trial flight was a great example of how Australia’s airlink, now boosted through the support of the C-17A, could enable scientific research in Antarctica.

“It will be a logistical challenge to co-ordinate the ship and plane, and to keep the krill alive on the journey back,” Mr Clifton said.

“But if we can transport the krill safely it will contribute to important research.”

Antarctic krill are a key species of the Southern Ocean ecosystem.

They feed on a wide variety of phytoplankton and zooplankton and are prey for larger animals such as whales, seals and penguins.

Originally published as Australian Antarctic Division to fly thousands of krill from Antarctica to Hobart