Food Web Activity: Coral Reefs
Name:__________________
Date:________
Period:____
Standard(s):

BI 6.e-Students know a vital part of an ecosystem is the stability of its producers and
decomposers.
 BI.6.f-Students know at each link in a food web some energy is stored in newly made
structures but much energy is dissipated into the environment as heat. The dissipation
may be represented in an energy pyramid.
Learning Objective (s):
SWBAT…
 Explain the role of biodiversity in maintaining the balance of an ecosystem.
 Demonstrate how energy is transferred and lost in an ecosystem.
 Explain the various roles of organisms in maintaining the stability of an ecosystem.
 Understand the interaction between living and nonliving factors in an ecosystem.
Introduction:
A food web is a model that shows the feeding relationships, and the flow of energy in an
ecosystem. At each link in the food web some energy is stored in the organism and some
is lost as heat into the environment. Today you will model a food web for a coral reef.
Review the information below before beginning the lab.
Energy Source:
Energy comes from the sun
Producers:
 Phytoplankton
 (Coral)
Consumers:
 Zooplankton-eat phytoplankton
 Jellyfish-eat phytoplankton and zooplankton
 Sea turtle-eat jellyfish
 Coral-eat phytoplankton and zooplankton
 Sea anemone-eat zooplankton
 Crabs-eat sea anemones and coral
 Butteflyfish-eat zooplankton and coral
 Octopus-eat butterflyfish, crabs, parrotfish
 Sharks-eat parrotfish, sea turtles, octopus, crab, butterflyfish
 Parrotfish-eat dead coral
Different Types of Consumers:
Part I. Cut out each organism and group each type of consumer in one of the consumer
groups on your desk. Use the information above to complete this task. When you think
you have the organisms in the correct category have your teacher examine the
arrangement before moving on. Record the organism name in the correct column below.
Types of Consumers
Herbivores
Carnivores
Omnivores
Detritivores
Construct A Food Web:
Part II.
Using the cut-out organisms create a food web model of a coral reef on your lab table.
Use the information listed above about each organism to create your food web. Make
sure to include the sun along with the organisms and each connection between all of
the organisms. Once you get your food web approved by your teacher you may glue,
tape, or just sketch the animals in the food web below. Make sure to include arrows
showing the flow of energy from each organism.
Analysis Questions:
 Answer the questions below in complete sentences.
 You may use the resources below to do this.
Resources:
 http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/exhibits/biomes/
 http://www.fi.edu/tfi/units/life/habitat/habitat.html
 http://www.fossweb.com/modulesMS/DiversityofLife/index.html
 http://www.mnh.si.edu/explore/diversity.htm
Questions:
1.) What would happen to the food web/ ecosystem if one organism was removed
from it?
2.) Why are the phytoplankton (producers) so important in the food chain?
3.) Describe the flow of energy in the food web. What happens to the energy from
the sun each time an organism is eaten?