By Dr. Tim Sandle
March 9, 2025
DIGITAL JOURNAL
Over the edge? The melting Greenland and West Antarctic icesheets are of Earth's two tipping points teetering on the point of no return, the report warned
- © AFP/File Olivier MORIN
Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) play a critical role in mitigating climate change and form the backbone of the Antarctic ecosystem, but the organisms have come under increasing threat from rising temperatures and a reduction in sea ice. A recent research project funded by the Turner Kirk Trust has increased understanding of Antarctic krill distribution – bolstering global conservation efforts in the fight against climate change.
The Turner Kirk Trust committed to funding this early-stage research project, which it hopes will support ongoing efforts to manage and conserve krill populations by enabling better-informed decision-making. TKT works to support solution-building for some of the most intractable societal and environmental challenges by catalysing robust, evidence-based charitable efforts.
British Antarctic Survey
Led by Imperial College London, in collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey, the new project aims to enable better-informed decision-making for managing krill populations
Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) play a critical role in mitigating climate change and form the backbone of the Antarctic ecosystem, but the organisms have come under increasing threat from rising temperatures and a reduction in sea ice. A recent research project funded by the Turner Kirk Trust has increased understanding of Antarctic krill distribution – bolstering global conservation efforts in the fight against climate change.
The Turner Kirk Trust committed to funding this early-stage research project, which it hopes will support ongoing efforts to manage and conserve krill populations by enabling better-informed decision-making. TKT works to support solution-building for some of the most intractable societal and environmental challenges by catalysing robust, evidence-based charitable efforts.
British Antarctic Survey
Led by Imperial College London, in collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey, the new project aims to enable better-informed decision-making for managing krill populations
. 
STEM, conservation and biodiversity from studying krill, via Turner Kirk Trust
Aiding efforts to conserve krill populations through research and protective fishing regulations, the Turner Kirk Trust Antarctic krill project has devised a successful advanced spatio-temporal model to better understand Antarctic krill distribution.
Imperial researchers used a novel dataset comprising acoustic in situ data of krill swarms. This was achieved by integrating climate covariates, obtained via satellite imagery, with information gathered by floating buoys.
The modelling has already been successful in the South Georgia Island region, providing a critical foundation for a better understanding of krill availability in the Scotia Sea.
Carbon cycle
Leading on from the findings of the TKT-backed research, two further PhD projects have since been designed and advertised, with the goal of expanding these insights to other regions and investigating broader impacts on the carbon cycle. Discussions with BAS are also planned in 2025 to explore the next steps.
The donation from the Turner Kirk Trust marks one of the latest charitable initiatives launched by the foundation. Other recent work from the trust includes a collaboration with the University of Glasgow on the STEM Spatial Cognition Enhancement Project, which is seeking to revolutionise mathematical education for children through spatial skills-based teaching, and a partnership with SolarAid to support its Light a Village project, which is working with the Malawian government towards a nation-wide rollout of its solar lighting systems.
The research presents a comprehensive framework for analysing and predicting krill abundance in the Southern Ocean, leveraging information from various sources and formats. This is crucial due to the impact of krill fishing, as understanding their distribution is essential for informed management decisions and fishing regulations aimed at protecting the species
Aiding efforts to conserve krill populations through research and protective fishing regulations, the Turner Kirk Trust Antarctic krill project has devised a successful advanced spatio-temporal model to better understand Antarctic krill distribution.
Imperial researchers used a novel dataset comprising acoustic in situ data of krill swarms. This was achieved by integrating climate covariates, obtained via satellite imagery, with information gathered by floating buoys.
The modelling has already been successful in the South Georgia Island region, providing a critical foundation for a better understanding of krill availability in the Scotia Sea.
Carbon cycle
Leading on from the findings of the TKT-backed research, two further PhD projects have since been designed and advertised, with the goal of expanding these insights to other regions and investigating broader impacts on the carbon cycle. Discussions with BAS are also planned in 2025 to explore the next steps.
The donation from the Turner Kirk Trust marks one of the latest charitable initiatives launched by the foundation. Other recent work from the trust includes a collaboration with the University of Glasgow on the STEM Spatial Cognition Enhancement Project, which is seeking to revolutionise mathematical education for children through spatial skills-based teaching, and a partnership with SolarAid to support its Light a Village project, which is working with the Malawian government towards a nation-wide rollout of its solar lighting systems.
The research presents a comprehensive framework for analysing and predicting krill abundance in the Southern Ocean, leveraging information from various sources and formats. This is crucial due to the impact of krill fishing, as understanding their distribution is essential for informed management decisions and fishing regulations aimed at protecting the species
.
Krill – small, swimming crustacean that lives in large schools. Image by Krill666 CC3.0.
An expert comments
Ewan Kirk, co-founder of the Turner Kirk Trust, tells Digital Journal: “Antarctic krill are small but mighty, and their life-sustaining importance can so easily go overlooked in conversations about climate change. “
Kirk moves on to outline how the project developed: “Our collaboration with Imperial College London and BAS underscores the critical role that philanthropy can play in furthering research and knowledge creation for transformative societal and environmental impact, which is more critical than ever when it comes to the climate crisis.”
In terms of the importance of the project, Kirk explains: “Unlocking and sharing new knowledge with the wider scientific community can be a make or break for conservation efforts. Tackling climate change is a time-sensitive undertaking, and conservationists and scientists need all the support they can get.”
Research
The research paper is titled “Navigating Challenges in Spatio-temporal Modelling of Antarctic Krill Abundance: Addressing Zero-inflated Data and Misaligned Covariates.”
Turner Kirk Trust supports STEM, conservation and biodiversity, and early childhood development causes. It is one of the largest private funders of fundamental mathematics research
An expert comments
Ewan Kirk, co-founder of the Turner Kirk Trust, tells Digital Journal: “Antarctic krill are small but mighty, and their life-sustaining importance can so easily go overlooked in conversations about climate change. “
Kirk moves on to outline how the project developed: “Our collaboration with Imperial College London and BAS underscores the critical role that philanthropy can play in furthering research and knowledge creation for transformative societal and environmental impact, which is more critical than ever when it comes to the climate crisis.”
In terms of the importance of the project, Kirk explains: “Unlocking and sharing new knowledge with the wider scientific community can be a make or break for conservation efforts. Tackling climate change is a time-sensitive undertaking, and conservationists and scientists need all the support they can get.”
Research
The research paper is titled “Navigating Challenges in Spatio-temporal Modelling of Antarctic Krill Abundance: Addressing Zero-inflated Data and Misaligned Covariates.”
Turner Kirk Trust supports STEM, conservation and biodiversity, and early childhood development causes. It is one of the largest private funders of fundamental mathematics research
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