![]() Also, in the case of larger carnivores, if you don’t have a dominant predator, you may be able to reach old age without anything being able to kill you. Yet, it does occur, particularly in isolated parts of the marine world, such as the dark depths of the ocean, where carnivores are less adapted or able to find potential prey. The marine food chain is very efficient, so fish and other marine life dying of old age doesn’t happen all that often. The answer to that is “No”, but not by much. Does every creature in the ocean simply get eaten by something else? Now that you understand the various levels of life and widespread consumption within the ocean, the answer to the question posed by this article may seem quite simple. Yes, bird species factor into the food chain of the ocean, considering the birds can swoop down and literally take the animals out of the chain! Now, while there is some crossing over between the various levels, i.e., some of the top carnivores feed on other top carnivores (sharks eat seals), this is the general structure of how energy passes through the classifications of life in the ocean.Īlso Read: What Is A Food Chain? Who Are Producers, Consumers And Decomposers In A Food Chain? The next level up includes the more dominant carnivores, such as squid, which also display higher levels of intelligence than the lower levels of the food chain.įinally, we reach the top carnivores, which include sharks, dolphins, seals and albatross. Second-level carnivorous consumers come next, which include larger, adult fish, some of whom will eat other fish, i.e., tuna. Some of the fish in this level also consume plankton, making them herbivorous. ![]() (Image Credit: Flickr)Ībove the zooplankton comes the first carnivorous step of the food chain, consisting of fish larvae, juvenile fish, jellyfish, crustaceans and sea stars. This level of organisms consume the primary producers, and are the first herbivorous “consumers” in the chain. The next step up include creatures like krill and small shrimp-like creatures, often known as zooplankton, as well as clams and certain crab species. As most of you probably understand, a food chain helps to explain what organisms consume in order to survive.Īt the very bottom of the food chain is the decomposers, also known as detritivores, which include aquatic bacteria, water mold and some species of shrimp, which function as primary decomposers.Ībove this level is the primary producers, such as phytoplankton, marine algae, diatoms, seaweed and other unicellular life. Just like on land, there is a complex food chain in the planet’s oceans that sustains life from the depths of the deepest seas to the shallowest rivers and lakes. Before we can understand what happens to a marine creature when they die, perhaps we should look at the basic food chain that exists in the ocean. For all those curious about the fate of sea life once their number comes up, perhaps we should take a closer look. Unless you’re a marine biologist, you probably have some guesses as to what happens when a marine animal dies, but you might not know for sure. However, when it comes to marine life, it is far more rare to see a deceased fish or seal on our commute to work. On land, we also see roadkill on the sides of highways and smashed insects on our windshields. Most people have experienced some form of death in their lives, whether it is the loss of a beloved family pet or the tragic loss of a family member or friend. From the brief, 1-day lifespan of a mayfly to ocean quahogs (a type of clam) that can live for more than 500 years, death is an eventuality that all living organisms must face. The unfortunate and unavoidable fact of life is that it will eventually end. Also, in the case of larger carnivores, if you don’t have a dominant predator, you may be able to reach old age without anything being able to kill you. ![]() ![]()
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