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11.20: Marine Food Chains

Created by: CK-12

What's the most unusual life form you could see on Earth?

Some people might disagree. But the most unusual life on Earth could be the strange organisms live at hydrothermal vents at mid-ocean ridges. These organisms break down chemicals to make food energy. They engage in chemosynthesis. Would you like to see an ecosystem with chemosynthesis at its base?

Marine Food Chains

Figure below shows a marine food chain. Phytoplankton form the base of the food chain. Phytoplankton are the most important primary producers in the ocean. They use sunlight and nutrients to make food by photosynthesis . Small zooplankton consume phytoplankton. Larger organisms eat the small zooplankton. Larger predators eat these consumers. In an unusual relationship, some enormous whales depend on plankton for their food. They filter tremendous amounts of these tiny creatures out of the water.

Many marine food chains look like this example.

The bacteria that make food from chemicals are also primary producers. These organisms do not do photosynthesis since there is no light at the vents. They do something called chemosynthesis . They break down chemicals to make food.

When marine organisms die, decomposers break them down. This returns their nutrients to the water. The nutrients can be used again to make food. Decomposers in the oceans include bacteria and worms. Many live on the ocean floor. Do you know why?


  • chemosynthesis : The process of breaking down chemicals to make food energy.
  • photosynthesis : The process of using inorganic matter and sunlight to make food energy.


  • Photosynthesis is the base of nearly all food chains on Earth. This is true of marine food chains too.
  • In chemosynthesis, organisms break down chemicals to make food energy.
  • As on land, marine decomposers break down dead organisms. They release nutrients.


Use these resources to answer the questions that follow.

Primary Producers at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyM7MlRrSSU (3:17)

  1. Why are fish valuable?
  2. What are primary producers?
  3. What is chemosynthesis?
  4. What is photosynthesis?
  5. What are the primary producers of the ocean?
  6. Why are the primary produced of the ocean important?


  1. Compare and contrast the two types of primary production discussed here.
  2. What is a typical marine food chain like?
  3. What is the role of decomposers in a marine food chain?




Process of breaking down chemicals to make food energy.


Process of using inorganic matter and sunlight to make food energy.

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Difficulty Level:



6 , 7

Date Created:

Jan 04, 2013

Last Modified:

Dec 15, 2014

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