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The article presents information about the "Heard Island Predator-Prey Investigation and Ecosystem Study" or "HIPPIES," conducted by the Australian Antarctic Division. The study focused on the key predators that breed on sub-Antarctic Heard Island, their prey and the regional ocean environment. It provided an insight into the predatory food web in the region, giving important new baseline information for local fisheries management. Australia oversees two important commercial fisheries for Patagonian toothfish and mackerel icefish in the waters around the Heard Island and McDonald Islands region of the vast southern Indian Ocean. To manage these fisheries sustainably, scientists need to understand the effects of harvesting on the target species, on predators of those species, and on the prey and competitors of the target species. The study coincided with the busy summer breeding season on the island, during which the penguins and female fur seals were alternating their time on shore caring for their offspring and offshore consuming food for themselves and their young.