Ocean Food Chain

The ecosystem of the oceans of the world is regulated by the marine food chain. Marine scientists call the ocean food chain the marine food web. The reason for this is that many of the marine species nourish on more than one kind of creature or food. There are many marine inmates who eat the members of their own group. Are you aware of the fact that marine biome is the largest biome on earth?

Ocean Food Chain

Phytoplankton: These are the single-celled marine organisms that live on the sunlit upper layers of the ocean, the "euphotic zone". Phytoplankton include dinoflagellates, coccolithophores and diatoms. The phytoplankton are known as the primary producers of food because they use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and the other nutrients into carbohydrates that are used by the marine creatures. Ninety-five percent of the primary food is derived from the phytoplankton.

Zooplankton: The small floating animals known as zooplankton eat the phytoplankton. Shrimp, copepods, jellyfish, mollusk are some of the examples of zooplankton. The larger zooplankton eat the smaller zooplankton.

Small Bait Fish: Examples of small bait fish include sardines, crabs, lobsters and herrings. These fish eat zooplankton and the larger fish of the ocean, in turn, eat them.

Large Fish: Shark, swordfish, tuna and octopus are examples of large fish. The large fish feed on smaller fish.

Predators: The predators of the ocean include whales, sharks, killer whales and so on. The predators form the fourth layer of the ocean food chain. The predators, during their feeding sessions, feed not only on the larger fish but also on smaller members of their own species or groups.

The sea mammals such as seal, walrus, sea lion and dolphin also help to maintain the ocean food chain. Oceanography and marine science unravels many unsolved mysteries which fascinate mankind even today.