Phytoplankton do the quiet work
These tiny drifting organisms use sunlight to grow, forming the base for countless marine meals.
They are small, but their blooms can be visible from space.
Energy moves through many mouths
Krill, small fish and filter feeders turn plankton into food that larger animals can catch.
A whale feeding event is connected to conditions that may have started weeks earlier.
Nutrients return from below
Dead material sinks and decomposes, carrying nutrients downward.
Upwelling can bring those nutrients back to sunlit water, restarting production.
Field Takeaways
- Food webs are loops, not ladders.
- Currents can decide where animals gather.
- Tiny organisms support huge migrations.