Polar Food Webs Project
Part 1 - Antarctic Ecosystem Food Web
Look up each of the organisms below in the Info Sheet and connect them to create a food web.
Cut them out and stick them on another piece of paper. Use arrows to connect consumers with
their food (remember the arrows show energy transfer, so it goes from the food to the feeder).
Be prepared to explain how the organisms are interrelated. (5 marks)
Answer the following questions on the back of your Food Web:
1)
2)
3)
4)
List the producer(s)
List the top predator(s)
Are there any omnivores in this food web? If so, list them.
What trophic level(s) does the human occupy?
Part 2 – Baffin Island Food Web Quiz
Complete the Baffin Island Food Web quiz, and staple it to the back of your food web.
Hand them in together.
Info Sheet for Antarctic Food Web Activity
Plankton
• Plankton are microscopic organisms that float freely with oceanic currents
and in other bodies of water. Plankton is made up of tiny plants (called
phytoplankton) and tiny animals (called zooplankton).
•
Phytoplankton: Phytoplankton are primary producers. As the base of the oceanic food
web, they use chlorophyll to convert energy (from sunlight), inorganic chemicals (like
nitrogen), and dissolved carbon dioxide gas into carbohydrates.
•
Zooplankton: microscopic animals that eat other plankton.
-herbivorous plankton eat phytoplankton; carnivorous plankton eat herbivorous plankton
Krill
•
•
Eat Plankton
Krill are small, shrimp-like crustaceans that swim in the seas. These pink, translucent
animals congregate in large, dense masses called "swarms" or "clouds," that turn areas of
the ocean's surface pink. Krill are very important in the food web since many animals eat
them. Krill are also harvested for human consumption in some parts of the world,
including Japan.
Fish & Squid
• Both Eat Krill
•
The Squid is an invertebrate (animal without a backbone) that swims in the oceans. This
mollusk is closely related to the octopus. Squid can change the color of their skin to
mimic their environment and hide from predators. Squid range from 1 to 60 ft (0.3 to 18
m) long
•
Fish – Many species of fish inhabit the Antarctic ecosystem. Many are harvested by
fisheries for human consumption.
Antarctic species of fish include: the Antarctic cod, ice fish, crocodile fish, dragon fish,
robber fish, rat-tailed fish, hagfish, skates, eel-pouts, sea snails, and many others
Penguins
• Eat Fish & Squid
•
Penguins are birds that cannot fly, but they swim very well and spend most of their lives
in the sea. There are 17 species of penguin. Feathers: Penguins have shiny, waterproof
feathers that help keep their skin dry. They have more feathers than most other birds about 70 feathers per square inch. Each year, penguins molt, losing their old feathers and
growing new ones. Some penguins have a feathery crest.
•
Anatomy: The Emperor Penguin is the largest penguin. It is up to 3.7 feet (1.1 m) tall
and weighs up to 65 pounds (30 kg); this is bit less than half the size of an adult person.
Males and females look very similar. All penguins have a big head, a short, thick neck, a
streamlined shape, a short, wedge-shaped tail, and tiny, flipper-like wings. They have
webbed feet which they use for swimming. Penguins are counter shaded; they have a
lighter color on the belly and a darker color on their back; this coloration helps
camouflage them when they are in the water, hiding them from predators.
•
Habitat: All penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere (south of the equator). They live
in climates ranging from the warm tropics to the frigid Antarctic. These defenseless birds
usually live on predator-free islands or on remote parts of a continent. Some penguins,
like the Emperor Penguin, live on pack ice in Antarctica.
Seals:
• Eat Penguins
•
Seals have a thick layer of insulating blubber that keeps them warm in cold water. They
also have more blood (per weight) than most other mammals, keeping them well-supplied
with oxygen during long underwater dives. This allows these carnivores (meat-eaters) to
hunt for their oceanic prey.
•
Seals are marine mammals who live mostly in the water but spend some time on land or
ice (usually to reproduce or rest). Seals include the true seals and the eared seals.
•
Elephant seals eat skates, rays, squid, octopuses, eels, penguin, and small sharks.
Whales:
• Food varies
•
The Orca (commonly known as the Killer Whale) is a toothed whale, the largest member
of the dolphin family. Orcas live in small, close-knit, life-long pods. Orcas eat fish, seals,
penguins, squid and other whale species. Sometimes they hunt in groups to bring down
huge prey such as the elephant seals, sperm whales, and blue whales. They are not
dangerous to humans.
•
Sperm Whales eat primarily quid and fish.
•
Blue Whales are filter feeders that eat almost exclusively krill, but they also eat some
plankton, and some small fish that are caught accidentally.
Petrels:
 They eat Antarctic krill, fish, and small squid. They feed while swimming but can dive
well from the surface and the air.