Marine Food Chains
Ocean food chains show how energy transfers between organisms in marine ecosystems. At the foundation are plankton - tiny drifting organisms that harness energy from the sun through photosynthesis.
Next in the chain are zooplankton that feed on plankton, followed by fish eggs and larvae. Small fish like clownfish eat these smaller organisms, storing that energy in their bodies. Finally, predators such as sharks sit at the top of the chain, feeding on these smaller fish.
Various fish occupy different levels of this chain. Small fish include the colorful clownfish, the unique sailfin blenny, the weird warty frogfish, and the signal goby. Larger predatory fish include tiger sharks, great white sharks, hammerhead sharks, nurse sharks, and bull sharks.
Remember This: Every animal in a marine food chain is crucial! If one species disappears, it affects all the others connected to it.