Food Chain
Organisms at the very base of the food chain
What are producers (algae, phytoplankton, seaweed)
Small pollutant that can often be mistaken for food
What is microplastics?
During which period did marine life rapidly diversify?
What is the Cambrian Period?
What ancient marine predator had a straight shell that could grow up to 10 meters long?
What are orthocones?
A primary consumer in the marine food chain
What are crabs, manatees, sea turtles, or urchins?
A marine animal group that overfishing often targets
What are top predators?
What type of simple organism formed the base of the earliest marine food chains in the Precambrian Era?
What is Chemosynthetic bacteria?
What unique type of vision did anomalocaridids have that helped them as top predators?
What is 360-degree vision?
The group cod, mackerel, and sardines belong to in the food chain.
What are secondary consumers?
The harm of plastic pollution besides being eaten
What is direct injury to animals? (entangling and injury)
What major change happened during the Mesozoic Marine Revolution?
What are new predators and prey?
What were the first reef builders in Earth’s oceans?
What is Stromatolites?
Examples of tertiary consumers
What are seals and dolphins?
What is one way climate change affects ocean water that can force marine animals to relocate?
What is reducing oxygen levels
Name one apex predator in today’s (Cenozoic Era) marine food webs.
What is large sharks or orcas
How did prey animals respond during the Mesozoic Marine Revolution to escape predators?
What is burrowing deeper into the sea floor?
The role of fungi, bacteria, and sea cucumbers
What is breaking down dead plants, animals, and recycling nutrients back into the ecosytem
Why can overfishing of top predators cause harm to the entire food web?
What is overgrazing by smaller fish, disrupt balance, and make species more susceptible to disease.
What was one major development in marine ecosystems during the Ordovician Period?
What is marine ecosystem expansion
How did the shells of sea snails evolve during the Mesozoic to survive new predators?
What is tightly coiled and thicker shells?