Marine
Ecology
Activity 1
The Marine Food Chain
All life on our planet is connected. All humans depend on this
vast and complex web of life.
The order that animals feed on other plants and animals
is called a food chain.
Phytoplankton is the first level of a marine food chain, followed by the zooplankton,
which feeds on the phytoplankton. The zooplankton are then eaten by krill, fish and
other crustaceans, which all go on to be eaten by big fish, penguins, seals, walruses
and whales. The food chain continues when these are eaten by mammals like polar
bears.
If one part of a food chain changes, the
whole food chain is affected. For example,
if a disease suddenly wiped out small fish,
it would affect bigger fish, (eg. sharks) and
many other animals. Most of animals and
plants are part of more than one food
chain.
Animals eat more than one type of food…
and are eaten by more than one thing…so
a food chain doesn’t really show the whole
picture. The next step is called…
Check out:
http://www.panda.org/news_facts/education/middle_school/habitats/oceans/index.cfm
Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning EU Network of Excellence
Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems
GOCE-CT-2003-505446
Marine
Ecology
Activity 1
A food
w
the fee eb is a diagra
ding re
lations m showing
plants
hips
and ani
mals in betweena certa
area.
in
Who ea
ts who!
Look at this diagram and see how complex food webs can be!
UNEP/GRID-Arendal Maps and Graphics Library. Retrieved 18:41, February 20, 2008 from
http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/arctic-pelagic-food-web
http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/coastal_arctic_food_web_drift_ice.
Although a food web is not REALLY connected like a spiderweb, food
webs are drawn in a diagram similar to a spiderweb (with connecting
arrows as the webbing)
Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning EU Network of Excellence
Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems
GOCE-CT-2003-505446
Marine
Ecology
Activity 1
___________
____________
____________
___________
___________
__________
___________
___________
___________
__________
Look up the MarBEF educational pullout for clues!!
Always starts with
a green plant
(producer)
Followed by
a herbivore
Check out at the web of life on
http://www.daversitycode.com/
Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning EU Network of Excellence
Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems
GOCE-CT-2003-505446
Then one or
more predators
Marine
Ecology
Activity 1
You
can m
ing
some ake a fo
od w
then
more
d
r
awin
food eb by m
how
g
ak
c
t
a
syste he energ rrows w hains an y mo
d
m.
h
ves t ich sho
w
hrou
gh th
e
with
ing a food web
w
ra
d
y
tr
,
ge
n
le
As a chal
who eats who.
g
in
w
ho
s
s
w
o
rr
a
t and see what
u
o
s
sm
ni
a
rg
o
t
n
Then take differe
happens.
Good luck!
PHYTOPLANKTON
SEA LION
SARDINE
ZOOPLANKTON
HUMPBACK WHALE
KILLER WHALE
SHARK
KRILL
Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning EU Network of Excellence
Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems
GOCE-CT-2003-505446