{"id":6339,"date":"2026-03-19T15:48:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T14:48:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T15:48:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T14:48:03","slug":"tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Tracking tiny crustaceans on their long journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Antarctic krill cover vast distances during their migrations in the Southern Ocean. Researchers from the NaviSense Cluster of Excellence are setting up camp on the South Shetland Islands to investigate how these crustaceans navigate on these long journeys.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

One of the largest animal migrations on this planet takes place for the most part unobserved. Off the coast of Antarctica, vast shoals of finger-sized, shrimp-like crustaceans move around beneath the water\u2019s surface. <\/span>Antarctic krill represent one of the most abundant wild animal biomasses on Earth, estimated at somewhere between 300 and 500 million tonnes. At certain times of the year, billions of these fragile creatures migrate hundreds of kilometres from one location to another, presumably above all for the purpose of reproduction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet how they find their way across such large distances remains for the most part a mystery. \u201cGiven the importance of this species for the Southern Ocean, it is astonishing that nobody knows how they navigate, what mechanisms govern their seasonal migrations, or whether they use the Earth\u2019s magnetic field in this process,\u201d explains Professor Dr Bettina Meyer, a biologist and head scientist in the NaviSense Cluster of Excellence, within which she hopes this mystery can be solved. She and NaviSense spokesperson and animal navigation expert Prof. Dr Henrik Mouritsen are currently on King George Island, situated north of the Antarctica Peninsula in waters which are particularly rich in krill. \u201c\u2018When is the krill where?\u2019 is a fundamental question that we are investigating in NaviSense,\u201d says the scientist, who holds a joint professorship at the University of Oldenburg and the Alfred Wegener Institute in Bremerhaven.<\/span><\/p>\n

Krill fishing is an important economic factor<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

With its research on Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba), the Cluster of Excellence is focusing on a key species in the Southern Ocean\u2019s food web: these crustaceans feed on tiny algae, smaller crustaceans and the remains of other organisms. At the same time, they themselves are a vital food source for important species such as penguins, petrels, seals and baleen whales. According to a study published in 2024, their excrement and carcasses, which sink to the seabed, store around 20 million tonnes of carbon per year \u2013 an amount roughly equivalent to Romania\u2019s total annual emissions. Accordingly, krill accounts for almost one percent of carbon storage in the ocean. In addition, krill fishing is an important economic factor. \u201cKrill navigation has a significant impact on the Antarctic ecosystem, the carbon cycle and fisheries management in the Southern Ocean,\u201d explains Meyer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Long-term studies suggest that rather than simply drifting passively with the currents, krill swarms actively swim \u2013 there is no other way to explain their migrations across large distances. But whether krill belong to the select group of animals that can sense the Earth\u2019s magnetic field remains unclear. Initial experiments carried out by a team led by Meyer in 2021 with a closely related species, Norwegian krill, suggest that this may well be the case. However, Meyer notes that there are also clear indications that these long-distance migrations, as well as the daily migration of krill from deep water layers to the surface, are regulated by an internal clock.<\/span><\/p>\n

The NaviSense team now plans to take a closer look at which environmental cues the animals use for navigation, and in particular whether the Earth\u2019s magnetic field or the position of the sun play a role. To this end, the researchers have developed an innovative experimental device that can generate an artificial magnetic field. \u201cWe want to test how individual krill and groups of krill respond to different navigational cues,\u201d Meyer explains.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

When you conduct field research in Antarctica at regular intervals, the consequences of climate change cannot be overlooked.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Bettina Meyer, biologist<\/span><\/p>\n

Meyer made the long journey to Antarctica with Mouritsen to assess what equipment and supplies will be needed to carry out experiments in the waters off King George Island during the Antarctic summers of 2027\/28 and 2028\/29. One objective was to find a suitable location, take stock of the available equipment and plan how to transport the remaining equipment to the research site as well as how to catch krill for the experiments. \u201cKing George Island is the unofficial capital of Antarctica, with a high concentration of research stations,\u201d reports Meyer, who has travelled to Antarctica on numerous occasions. Most of these stations are located along a largely ice-free bay in the south-west, which can be reached by plane from Chile.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks to the abundance of krill in its waters, the island is home to numerous penguin colonies and various species of seal, including Weddell seals, leopard seals and elephant seals. \u201cThis is my first time in Antarctica, and I find the landscapes, with their rugged beauty, very impressive,\u201d says Mouritsen. Meyer is also fascinated by the unique natural environment every time she comes. But at the same time, she notices changes: \u201cWhen you conduct field research in Antarctica at regular intervals, the consequences of climate change cannot be overlooked.\u201d Krill are also affected: rising water temperatures are pushing their habitat further and further south towards the mainland. In addition, the marine ice that provides shelter and food for the larvae is disappearing. \u201cEnvironmental changes are impacting the physiology, behaviour and presumably also the migratory movements of krill \u2013 and consequently the entire Antarctic ecosystem,\u201d Meyer stresses.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>

Back to the homepage<\/span><\/a><\/div>
<\/div>
Previous article<\/div>
Marine Conservation on the High Seas<\/span><\/div><\/a>
<\/div>
Next article<\/div>
Mission: Energy Transition<\/span><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Antarctic krill cover vast distances during their migrations in the Southern Ocean. Researchers from the NaviSense Cluster of Excellence are setting up camp in Antarctica to investigate how these crustaceans navigate on their long journeys.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6342,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nTracking tiny crustaceans on their long journey - Northwest Alliance<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tracking tiny crustaceans on their long journey - Northwest Alliance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Antarctic krill cover vast distances during their migrations in the Southern Ocean. Researchers from the NaviSense Cluster of Excellence are setting up camp in Antarctica to investigate how these crustaceans navigate on their long journeys.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Northwest Alliance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-19T14:48:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"plietsch\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"plietsch\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"plietsch\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8d4b85919e499f50be7affb18fbcab39\"},\"headline\":\"Tracking tiny crustaceans on their long journey\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-19T14:48:03+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":957,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/rss\\\/csm_csm_AntKrill_CPape_fe0ebb3b47_a3cb99c131.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\\\/\",\"name\":\"Tracking tiny crustaceans on their long journey - Northwest Alliance\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/rss\\\/csm_csm_AntKrill_CPape_fe0ebb3b47_a3cb99c131.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-03-19T14:48:03+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/rss\\\/csm_csm_AntKrill_CPape_fe0ebb3b47_a3cb99c131.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/rss\\\/csm_csm_AntKrill_CPape_fe0ebb3b47_a3cb99c131.jpg\",\"width\":1082,\"height\":608,\"caption\":\"Antarctic krill play an important role in the Antarctic food web. Photo: Carsten Pape \\\/ Alfred-Wegener-Institute\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Startseite\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/startseite\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Tracking tiny crustaceans on their long journey\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Northwest Alliance\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Northwest Alliance (NWA)\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/01\\\/nwa-thumbnail.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/01\\\/nwa-thumbnail.jpg\",\"width\":1555,\"height\":995,\"caption\":\"Northwest Alliance (NWA)\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/northwest-alliance\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8d4b85919e499f50be7affb18fbcab39\",\"name\":\"plietsch\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/northwest-alliance.de\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Tracking tiny crustaceans on their long journey - Northwest Alliance","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Tracking tiny crustaceans on their long journey - Northwest Alliance","og_description":"Antarctic krill cover vast distances during their migrations in the Southern Ocean. Researchers from the NaviSense Cluster of Excellence are setting up camp in Antarctica to investigate how these crustaceans navigate on their long journeys.","og_url":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/","og_site_name":"Northwest Alliance","article_published_time":"2026-03-19T14:48:03+00:00","author":"plietsch","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"plietsch","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/"},"author":{"name":"plietsch","@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/8d4b85919e499f50be7affb18fbcab39"},"headline":"Tracking tiny crustaceans on their long journey","datePublished":"2026-03-19T14:48:03+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/"},"wordCount":957,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/rss\/csm_csm_AntKrill_CPape_fe0ebb3b47_a3cb99c131.jpg","articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/","url":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/","name":"Tracking tiny crustaceans on their long journey - Northwest Alliance","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/rss\/csm_csm_AntKrill_CPape_fe0ebb3b47_a3cb99c131.jpg","datePublished":"2026-03-19T14:48:03+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/rss\/csm_csm_AntKrill_CPape_fe0ebb3b47_a3cb99c131.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/rss\/csm_csm_AntKrill_CPape_fe0ebb3b47_a3cb99c131.jpg","width":1082,"height":608,"caption":"Antarctic krill play an important role in the Antarctic food web. Photo: Carsten Pape \/ Alfred-Wegener-Institute"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/tracking-tiny-crustaceans-on-their-long-journey\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Startseite","item":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/startseite\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Tracking tiny crustaceans on their long journey"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/","name":"Northwest Alliance","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/#organization","name":"Northwest Alliance (NWA)","url":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/nwa-thumbnail.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/nwa-thumbnail.jpg","width":1555,"height":995,"caption":"Northwest Alliance (NWA)"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/northwest-alliance"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/8d4b85919e499f50be7affb18fbcab39","name":"plietsch","sameAs":["https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de"]}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6339"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6339\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/northwest-alliance.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}