Amocean

Marine Junk Food

 The marine food web is based on microalgae, which are eaten by small algae-eaters (algaevores), mostly small, drifting animals (zooplankton). Free-swimming algae (phytoplankton) and zooplankton are food for plankton-eaters (planktivores) of different sizes. The smaller planktivores, like reef fish, are preyed upon by bigger carnivores, which are eaten by even bigger carnivores.

Then there are the macroalgae providing food for bigger algaevores or animals, which eat everything (omnivores). And when you eat something, you have to get rid of the rests, usually in form of feces. The feces, together with dead plant and animal remains, are food for scrap eaters (detritivores). And those detritivores are small to medium sized animals themselves, and are snacked up by the differently sized carnivores.

So basically it is algae – small marine animal - medium-sized marine animal – big marine animal. Or algae – small marine animal – big marine animal. That's all healthy vegetables (algae) and animal protein.

Hawaiian Monk Seals at the brink

The monk seals are one of Hawaii's iconic species. But for how much longer? They are at the brink of extinction. Numbers are decreasing every years, due to too many pups and youngsters dying. But there is hope, as the numbers are actually increasing in part of the archipelago. How can the rudder be turned for the total population to grow again? A short overview.