Prydz Bay is the heart of the East Antarctic. The region hosts productive polynyas, nursery grounds for fish and krill, and foraging grounds for marine mammals from all across the East Antarctic region and beyond.
Polynyas and the Prydz Bay Ecosystem
The Prydz Bay region contains several coastal polynyas, including the most productive polynya in the East Antarctic. The bright green bloom of pytoplankton in Prydz Bay can be seen from space, and it is by far the most concentrated in the polynyas.
Southern Elephant Seal Hot Spot
Prydz Bay is uniquely valuable to Southern Elephant Seals, which travel great distances to forage in the rich Antarctic waters. In fact, there is evidence of a southern elephant seal superhighway from Subantarctic Islands to the Prydz Bay region — a distance of ~1300 miles. The explosion of life in the polynyas is crucial for the seals’ survival, and makes the annual round trip worth it.
Nursery ground for krill and toothfish
Krill are the key prey species in the Southern Ocean food web, feeding a large array of birds, mammals and fish. Prydz Bay likely serves as a nursery ground for Antarctic krill. This is due, again, to coastal polynyas, which facilitate early season phytoplankton growth — food for krill.
Overall, Prydz Bay has some of the highest densities of krill in the East Antarctic, perhaps even exporting krill through ocean currents to the greater region. The wealth of krill, of course, makes Prydz Bay crucially important to all Antarctic predators, including penguins, seals and whales.
Prydz Bay is also believed to be a potential nursery ground for Antarctic toothfish, the largest predatory fish in the Southern Ocean. Prydz Bay is so productive that fish from this primary population center may also travel with currents, supplying the wider region. Toothfish play important roles in the health of the ecosystem.
The future
In this region of the East Antarctic, primary productivity is projected to continue increasing into the future. Krill will increase as well, but only until warming temperatures push the krill beyond the ability to thrive. Toothfish, on the other hand, are predicted to be resilient in the region through 2090. For penguins, Adélie populations are predicted to remain relatively stable, while emperor penguins are predicted to decline. While not currently part of the East Antarctic system of MPAs being proposed, the Prydz Bay region warrants protection due to its critical importance to seals, birds, fish and krill. While marine protected areas cannot stop climate change, they can help the ecosystem be more resilient to change, allowing species the best chance to adapt.
Emperor penguins are already starting to adapt to climate, dealing with the loss of sea ice by finding new habitat on exposed ground.
