K-Axis voyage of the Aurora Australis, 2015-16 season - Kerguelen Axis Marine Science parent metadata record

The Kerguelen Axis voyage was planned to collect data to enhance the realism of end-to-end ecosystem models being developed in the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, to investigate the effects of climate change and ocean acidification on Southern Ocean ecosystems in the Indian Sector (particularly in relation to factors affecting the northern distribution of Antarctic krill) and to contribute to assessment of the spatial relationship of mesopelagic mid-trophic level species, in particular zooplanktivores, to foraging strategies by marine mammals and birds on the Kerguelen Plateau.

Nine projects were undertaken aboard the Aurora Australis. Each project had individual objectives and outputs, and there are metadata records for each data set collected. They were designed to be complementary in order that the whole data set and project analyses could be used to address the objectives of the Kerguelen Axis program. Observations will be contributed to the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS) and will facilitate the design of future ecosystem observing in the region.

凯尔盖朗轴科考航次（Kerguelen Axis voyage）旨在采集数据，以提升南极气候与生态系统合作研究中心（Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre）正在研发的端到端生态系统模型的逼真度。本航次的核心研究目标包括：一是探究气候变化与海洋酸化对印度洋扇区南大洋生态系统的影响，尤其聚焦于影响南极磷虾（Antarctic krill）北部分布的相关驱动因素；二是助力评估中层带中营养级物种（尤其是浮游动物食性生物）与凯尔盖朗高原海域海洋哺乳动物、海鸟觅食策略之间的空间关联。本次航次由“极光南极号（Aurora Australis）”执行，共开展9项科考任务。每项任务均具备独立的目标与产出成果，且为所采集的每一套数据集均建立了元数据记录。各项任务设计互为补充，可通过整合全数据集与项目分析结果，达成凯尔盖朗轴科考项目的整体目标。本次航次获取的观测数据将提交至南大洋观测系统（Southern Ocean Observing System, SOOS），并为该区域未来生态系统观测网络的规划设计提供科学支撑。