You may have heard about krill, and some studies have confirmed its many benefits for aquaculture, and this article will take you through five interesting facts about krill that you may not have known.
It exists in the oceans
People may not see krill very often, but this small shrimp-like creature actually exists in the world's five oceans. This means that fish naturally feed on krill, and perhaps that's why aquatic species love the taste so much. Although krill are found in all oceans, they only congregate in swarms around Antarctica.
It is twice the biomass of humans
Biomass is the mass of biological organisms within a given region. The total weight of krill biomass is about 500 million tonnes, twice the biomass of humans. As a result, krill are one of the most biomass species on Earth, and people can even see krill colonies from space!
Up to 10,000 eggs are laid
Krill have such a huge biomass that they are a favorite food for whales, penguins, birds and fish. Female krill can lay up to 10,000 eggs at a time, and sometimes several times a season.
Located at the bottom of the food chain
Krill are zooplankton that feed on phytoplankton or algae at the bottom of the food chain during the winter months. All other species in the ocean directly or indirectly source krill as a food source, which means that krill is vital to marine species.
The "food" of the Soviet army
From the 1960s until 1990, krill entered the recipes of the Soviet army. The Soviet Union's several ships in Antarctic waters had only one military purpose: to feed their armies. The Soviets knew that krill had amazing nutritional qualities that helped soldiers through a difficult life. Krill are packed like sardines in small metal boxes for long-term storage.
Norwegian Acker Marine Life Company
Acre Marine Life, a biotechnology innovation and Antarctic krill fishing company, is the world's leading supplier of Antarctic krill dedicated to improving the health of people and the planet. Listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, the company has developed products with krill ingredients for use in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals (Superba®, NKO® and K· REAL®), aquaculture raw materials (QRILLAqua™) and pet food applications (QRILLPet™), including INVI™ (a highly concentrated krill protein component) and LYSOVETA™ (a targeted delivery EPA and DHA product derived from krill). The fully transparent value chain of Norwegian Acker Marine Life Co., Ltd. extends from sustainable krill harvesting in pristine Antarctic waters to the Montevideo Logistics Center and to customers around the world. A high focus on sustainability has inspired Norwegian Acker Marine Biotech to launch AION, a recycling company dedicated to helping companies recycle and reuse waste.