Page 27 - Coral Reef Teachers Guide
P. 27

Coral Reef Teacher’s Guide                                                 Life on the Coral Reef


               The Food Chain


               Nutrients  and  energy  move  through  the  coral  reef     Algae occurs in all sizes, from the microscopic zoox‐
               ecosystem  along  numerous  pathways.  At  the  base     anthellae that live inside coral to tiny drifting plants
               of the food chain are the  primary  producers:    the     called phytoplankton to large seaweeds.  The primary
               plants,  including  phytoplankton,  algae,  seagrasses,     producers  then  pass  energy  and  nutrients  along  the
               and mangroves, that are capable of photosynthesis.     food chain to the primary consumers, animals that









































































                                                            2‐7
   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32