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Ecological importance
The Ross Gyre hosts a wide spectrum of species and ecological interactions. Its waters contribute to the life cycle of the economically valued Antarctic toothfish (Dissostichus mawsoni), and at least eight species of seabirds have been recorded in the region. With the southern point of the Ross Gyre bordering the Ross Sea, it also plays an indirect role in the Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) feeding grounds by controlling ice extension. Orca Type C whales have also been recorded through satellite tracking on the Antarctic Slope, extending far beyond the Ross Sea and into the Ross Gyre. Historical data also provides insight into plankton abundance in the region.

Seabird biodiversity
Seabirds are part of the upper-level trophic category in the ocean food web. A study in 2018 showed that two main species were the most commonly observed in the Ross Gyre: the Slender-billed prion and the Mottled petrel. While both species are pelagic, the former heavily relies on a plankton rich diet while the latter has a fish and crustacean rich diet.

Adélie penguins were also observed in the Antarctic and Ross Gyre regions. A study in 2019 showed Adélie penguins extending beyond the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area during their sub-adult phase and non-breeding season, along with an increased foraging effort on their part. Iceberg-affected years in the Ross Sea due to slower velocities in the Ross Gyre also significantly impact the Adélie penguin breeding season. All three species discussed demonstrate a preference towards very cold waters, making the Antarctic current bordering the Ross Gyre an important biogeographical boundary in the region. Distribution of bird species by latitude also indicates the presence of the following species in the Ross Gyre: cape petrel (Daption capense), white-faced storm petrel (Pelagodroma marina), Royal Albatross (Diomedea epomophora), Salvin’s Albatross (Thalassarche salvini), and sooty shearwater(Ardenna grisea).

Antarctic toothfish population
The Antarctic toothfish (D. mawsoni) plays an essential role in the Ross Gyre's food web, where it is a predator to other invertebrates and also part of the Weddell seal's diet. The Antarctic toothfish has also become a commercially harvested fish, especially around the Ross Sea. Adult individuals have been recorded as North as 55°S and 57°S in the Ross Gyre.

Juvenile toothfish dispersal, on the other hand, has been linked to sea ice drift from the Ross Gyre, where the increase in sea ice drift leads to a decrease in recruitment success. A study by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in New Zealand found that the ice drift influenced by the Ross Gyre can determine the recruitment process of healthy juveniles. Simulations based on oceanographic data indicate that juvenile's initial advantage of following ice drift diminishes as they grow. At their early life stages, sea ice provides food and shelter from predators. This however, is not the case for their second winter season. Modeled results showed that juveniles that continue to follow the ice drift by the Northern and Eastern Ross Gyre during their second winter season, instead of following the ocean currents, can result in a 70% decrease of recruitment success.

Plankton diversity
Classified as a middle trophic organism in the ecosystem’s food web, historical data from the KRILL-DATABASE project shows the presence of both Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and the planktonic tunicate Salpidae along the Polar Front. Antarctic krill serves as food for multiple seabird species, including Adélie penguins, while also commercially harvested through multiple fisheries in the Southern Ocean.