Food Web of the Estuary How do plants and animals of the estuary get the energy they need to move and grow?

The sun is the source of energy for all living things. Green plants can change sunlight energy into food (chemical) energy.

algae Microscopic phytoplankton eelgrass Producers make their own food using energy from sunlight. This is called photosynthesis. algae Microscopic phytoplankton eelgrass

Sunlight energy carbon dioxide sugar water

Animals get energy from eating plants or other animals Animals get energy from eating plants or other animals. They are called consumers. Primary consumers (herbivores) eat plants. Secondary consumers (carnivores) eat other animals.

Omnivores eat both plants and animals!

Energy is transferred from plants to animals through Food Chains. Sunlight energy

Small but Mighty Phytoplankton are floating microscopic plants. They are very important estuary producers. Phytoplankton Zooplankton Phytoplankton are eaten by floating animals, zooplankton - and by bigger animals like snails, clams, and barnacles.

Plants and animals: Burn energy when they move and grow. Store energy in their bodies. Release unused energy as waste and heat. Energy used for swimming food energy in Food energy stored in fish - ready to be eaten Undigested food energy out

In an estuary, not every animal or plant gets eaten In an estuary, not every animal or plant gets eaten. Plants like eelgrass die back each year, just like the grass in a field. This stored-up energy is still important.

When a plant or animal dies, it rots When a plant or animal dies, it rots. Bacteria breaks down the stored energy into food that can be used by other animals. Detritus: dead and rotting bits of plants and animals Detritivore: an animal that eats detritus.

Estuary food chains often overlap, making food webs.

Because many animals eat more than one thing, tracing Because many animals eat more than one thing, tracing energy through the estuary can get messy. Relative Importance Of Food Web Linkages Primary (75-100% of Total) Secondary (50-74% of Total) Tertiary (25-49% of Total) Incidental (0-24% of Total) Sanderlings,Long & Short-billed Dowitchers, Greater Yellowlegs Whimbrel, Mallard, Northern Shoveler, Pintail, Western Sandpiper Great Blue Heron Snow Goose, Canada Goose, black Brant, American coot Penpoint Gunnel Padded Sculpin Chum Salmon (juv.) Crescent Gunnel Bay Pipefish Pacific Staghorn Sculpin Starry Flounder (juv.) Snake Prickleback Sharpnose Sculpin Saddleback Gunnel Tidepool Sculpin Shiner Perch Gastropod Molluscs Buffalo Sculpin English Sole (juv.) Nemerteans Small Fish (inc. herring, perch) Bivalve Molluscs Cumaceans Tubenose Poacher Polychaete Annelids Gammarid Amphipods Flabelliferan Isopods Tunicates Gastropod Molluscs Silverspotted Sculpin Harpacticoid Copepods Mysids Tanaids Hippolytid, Crangonid, And Penaeid Shrimp Saltmarsh Plants & Eelgrass Brachyuran Crabs Benthic Meiofauna Valviferan Isopods Macrophytic Algae Phytoplankton Microphytic Algae Anthozoans Detritus From Simenstad et al. 1979

Are you part of the Estuary Food Web?