Comprehending a species' life‐history strategies is crucial to inform effective conservation efforts. Commercial fishing impacts icefish (family: Channichthyidae) in the Scotia Sea, but detailed information on species‐specific life histories remains largely unknown. In this study, the demographic characteristics of mackerel icefish ( Champsocephalus gunnari ), blackfin icefish ( Chaenocephalus aceratus ) and South Georgia icef...

Patagonian toothfish ( Dissostichus eleginoides ) are a long‐lived, slow‐growing deep‐sea species endemic to the Southern Hemisphere and the focus of longline fisheries managed to ensure sustainable exploitation. Managing the fisheries relies on accurate stock assessments that include pertinent biological and exploitation processes. Length and age at first maturity are key biological parameters used in the stock assessments fo...

Although Macrourus species are the main by‐catch across Southern Ocean longline fisheries, including around South Georgia, the lack of species‐specific data has hindered effective management and ecological understanding. Aggregation of macrourids at genus level masks critical interspecific differences in life‐history strategies and vulnerabilities to fishing. Here, we provide the first comprehensive biological assessment of th...

An ecosystem-based approach to fishery management requires, inter alia, knowledge of fishery impacts on both target and non-target species, as well as the wider ecosystem. To support management of the Antarctic krill fishery, we present a robust reference dataset for identifying fish species caught as bycatch. By combining morphological and molecular taxonomic identification, 53 fish species in 44 genera and 11 families were c...

Understanding food-web structure is crucial to determine the functioning of ecosystems and sustainably manage resources. The Scotia Sea is an important area for Antarctic krill and toothfish fisheries, and one of the regions most impacted by climate change in the Southern Ocean. Whilst the pelagic Antarctic krill-centric food web has been investigated in reasonable detail, the structure of deep-sea food webs associated with to...

A quarter of all marine methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is estimated to be hosted in Southern Ocean sediments. Climate change-induced ocean warming and ice shelf melting risk the stability of sedimentary gas hydrates, resulting in potential degassing and establishment of marine methane seeps. While methane seeps can originate from various sources, the destabilisation of gas hydrates may contribute to the formation and persis...

The sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia is surrounded by highly productive waters, supporting dense aggregations of Antarctic krill ( Euphausia superba ), a vital food source for globally important seabird and marine mammal populations. These waters also support a commercial fishery for Antarctic krill. Regular monitoring of key krill predator species is undertaken at South Georgia to detect any changes in the ecosystem in r...

Food web interactions govern how ecosystems respond to climate change and biodiversity loss. Modularity, where subgroups of species interact more often with each other than with species outside their subgroup, is a key structural feature which has been linked to food web stability. We sought to address the lack of understanding of how modularity varies among ecosystems by comparing the structure of four highly resolved marine...

Light-induced bird strikes on vessels occur frequently in association with areas of high seabird density, often resulting in bird mortalities. These incidents are poorly understood and likely under-reported by vessels. Here we present the details of four separate bird strike events (899, 206, 50 and 47 birds), which took place whilst vessels (two fishing trawlers and one tourist expedition ship) were navigating along the south...

Southern Ocean myctophid fish (Family Myctophidae) are an important conduit of energy through foodwebs and between the surface layers and mesopelagic depths. Species that reside in both pelagic and near-bottom environments of continental shelves, such as Gymnoscopelus nicholsi and Gymnoscopelus bolini , may also be important in benthopelagic coupling, although their ecology and role in such processes remain unresolved. Here, w...

Many remote islands present barriers to effective wildlife monitoring in terms of challenging terrain and frequency of visits. The sub-Antarctic islands of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands are home to globally significant populations of seabirds and marine mammals. South Georgia hosts the largest breeding populations of Antarctic fur seals, southern elephant seals and king penguins as well as significant population...