Summary of Ashley Ward's The Social Lives of Animals

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

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#1 I visited the Australian Antarctic Division in Hobart, Tasmania. The complex is impressive, and the food is themed to commemorate the giants of early expeditions.

#2 The krill were collected at sea and then mollycoddled for weeks on board the Aurora before the ship returned to port with its precious cargo.

#3 The return trip to Hobart was also filled with challenges, from collecting live krill to babysitting the krill once they were in aquaria on board. You have to understand the bigger picture to understand why people go to so much trouble for such measly shrimp-like creatures.

#4 The keystone species in the Southern Ocean are the Antarctic krill, which are not only important to the animals that eat them, but also to the entire ecosystem. If krill disappeared, it would take the most important species with them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Mar 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669366751

IRB Media

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Insights on Ashley Ward's The Social Lives of Animals

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

I visited the Australian Antarctic Division in Hobart, Tasmania. The complex is impressive, and the food is themed to commemorate the giants of early expeditions.

#2

The krill were collected at sea and then mollycoddled for weeks on board the Aurora before the ship returned to port with its precious cargo.

#3

The return trip to Hobart was also filled with challenges, from collecting live krill to babysitting the krill once they were in aquaria on board. You have to understand the bigger picture to understand why people go to so much trouble for such measly shrimp-like creatures.

#4

The keystone species in the Southern Ocean are the Antarctic krill, which are not only important to the animals that eat them, but also to the entire ecosystem. If krill disappeared, it would take the most important species with them.

#5

The krill are a key component in the diet of whales. They are difficult to catch, and even the largest whales have a hard time eating them all. They are extremely fast escapologists, and they swarm in large numbers to defend themselves against predators.

#6

The interactions between whales and krill are similar to a predator–prey relationship, but not entirely one-way. whales kill many krill, but they also help support the krill by producing waste that is full of nutrients for the krill to eat.

#7

Krill are partial to Newcastle Brown Ale, which was chosen as an easily available source of dissolved minerals. The point of this experiment was to test precisely what the animals find particularly attractive and how nutrient gradients in the ocean affect krill movement patterns.

#8

Krill are the main players in the Southern Ocean ecosystem, and they are rich in protein and oils. They are also nutritious, and their potential for human consumption and as feed in aquaculture is attracting interest.

#9

The difficulties involved in fishing for krill are considerable, yet the riches on offer to anyone who can solve these problems remain a powerful incentive. Without accurate data, quota setting is a lottery.

#10

The krill lab is a modest series of small rooms. There are thousands of them, milling around in a collection of huge bowls. The progress of each through the water is stately – they adapt to their polar habitat by moving at a slower pace.

#11

The krill are a sensitive species that need to be kept at a certain temperature and fed specific food to thrive. They are also extremely fussy about their water quality, which means that every part of the system must be non-toxic.

#12

The krill swarming in the Southern Ocean are delivering up the secrets of their life cycle and their incredible swarming behavior. They are allowing us to predict how life will fare in the seas of tomorrow.

#13

The grasshopper