The earth is covered by about 3/4 water. Oceans cover a major part of our earth.
The ocean is home to the largest animal, the blue whale, and some of the smallest forms of life, such as single celled diatoms. There are food chains that provide food and life to the ocean population.
The food chain usually starts with plants that make their own energy using photosynthesis or the sun's energy. These plants are eaten by shrimp-like zooplankton. The first animal in a food chain is called the primary consumer because it eats other living things. Small fish are often primary consumers. Secondary consumers would eat the fish that are the primary consumer. At the very top of the food chain is an animal that doesn't have any animal predators. An example of this is a shark or a killer whale.
Most animals eat from more than one food chain. When these chains combine it is called a food web. The food chains and food webs show what each organism eats in an ecological community.
Oceans are full of life. There are millions of animals in the ocean. All living creatures need food to live. Some, producers, make their own food from sun light. Other consumers eat plants and animals. Many food chains exist in the ocean. When one or more food chain combines it is called a food web.
This newsletter includes a printout of a food chain. Phytoplankton are eaten by zooplankton, which are consumed by hermit crabs, which are eaten by eels and so forth. In order from producers to top predators, they are:
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