The Ocean Food Chain

10/10/2020 8:21:00 PM
seagrant.whoi.edu
The food chain of animals under the sea. Image: seagrant.whoi.edu

Do you know?

  • A food chain is a single pathway connecting a producer with several levels of consumers.
  • The main marine food web is based on sunlight and plants. It includes many of the ocean's species.

Let's explore more about the marine food chain!

sciencefriday.com
The marine food chain. Image: sciencefriday.com

Listen and choose the correct answer to each of the following question.

  • What does the ocean food chain start with?
  • What are zooplankton?
  • Decide whether this statement is TRUE, FALSE or NO INFORMATION: Only humans can eat the larger fish in the food chain.
What does the ocean food chain start with?
  • Tiny animals
  • Big floating plants
  • Tiny floating plants
What are zooplankton?
  • small plants
  • tiny animals
  • large fish
Decide whether this statement is TRUE, FALSE of NO INFORMATION:
Only humans can eat the larger fish in the food chain.
  • True
  • False
  • No Information

Complete the text you are listening to by dragging the correct word to each blank.

Seafood is the term used to describe the food that humans eat, but what does the eat? Just like all animal groups, ocean creatures follow a food chain. The food chain in the ocean begins with tiny floating plants. These plants are known as phytoplankton. These plants float around in the ocean water near the surface. You can’t see these plants with the naked eye because they are so small.

Next in the ocean food is zooplankton. Zooplankton are very small animals. They are microscopic as well. Small fish, which travel in groups, eat the zooplankton. These fish swim together and eat zooplankton as they go.

Larger fish then eat these smaller fish. The fish is an example of these larger fish. The tuna will eat the fish that swim in schools or shoals. Humans then eat these larger fish. By eating seafood, you are actually part of the ocean food chain.

Humans aren’t the only ones that eat these larger fish. Sharks and sea lions along with other sea creatures eat these fish. The killer whale is the top predator in the sea. It is the top predator because it is not eaten by anything. The baleen whale bypasses the food chain by feeding on the zooplankton . The of the sea also play a role in eating the and parts of fish and animals left on the . Crustaceans are examples of scavengers.

Read and answer the correct answer.

freepik.com
Ocean food chain pyramid. Image: freepik.com

Seafood is the term used to describe the food that humans eat, but what does the seafood eat? Just like all animal groups, ocean creatures follow a food chain. The food chain in the ocean begins with tiny floating plants. These plants are known as phytoplankton. These plants float around in the ocean water near the surface. You can’t see these plants with the naked eye because they are so small.

Next in the ocean food chain is zooplankton. Zooplankton are very small animals. They are microscopic as well. Small fish, which travel in groups, eat the zooplankton. These fish swim together and eat zooplankton as they go.

Larger fish then eat these smaller fish. The tuna fish is an example of these larger fish. The tuna will eat the fish that swim in schools or shoals. Humans then eat these larger fish. By eating seafood, you are actually part of the ocean food chain.

Humans aren’t the only ones that eat these larger fish. Sharks and sea lions along with other sea creatures eat these fish. The killer whale is the top predator in the sea. It is the top predator because it is not eaten by anything. The baleen whale bypasses the food chain by feeding on the zooplankton directly. The scavengers of the sea also play a role in eating the leftovers and parts of fish and animals left on the seafloor. Crustaceans are examples of scavengers.

Source: Daily Warm-ups Reading Grade 6

In the last paragraph, what does the word "scavengers" mean?
  • carnivores
  • foragers
  • herbivores
  • poultry
What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
  • to describe the eating habit of the tuna fish
  • to explain that larger fish eat the small fish in the food chain
  • to describe the fish that are at the top of the food chain
  • to explain the order of the ocean food chain

According to the passage, how do baleen whales bypass the food chain?

  • They hunt in groups.
  • They eat the zooplankton directly.
  • They eat tiny floating plants.
  • They become the top predator of the ocean.

Put the right word in each blank. The sentences are from the text.

  1. is the term used to describe the food that humans eat.
  2. Next in the ocean food is zooplankton. Zooplankton are very small animals.
  3. Larger fish then eat these smaller fish.The fish is an example of these larger fish.
  4. The baleen whale bypasses the food chain by feeding on the zooplankton .
  5. The of the sea also play a role in eating the and parts of fish and animals left on the .

Put the right word in each blank. These are new sentences for words in the text. 

  1. The ship has been lying on the for more than 50 years.
  2. My uncle owns a hotel .
  3. I need a good wine to drink with dishes like fish or crab dishes.
  4. This road runs south.
  5. She served from yesterday's dinner.
  6. Most dead birds are picked up by crows or other .
  7. Sarah came home as she was putting the salad into the refrigerator.