Coral Ecosystem
Objectives:
SWBAT understand how individual species fit into an ecosystem
SWBAT build a food web and understand how species interact
SWBAT understand how much life must be at the bottom of a food chain to support the top
1. Log onto http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/blueplanet/webs/flash/main_game.shtml
2. Follow the instructions to task one (Explore the Reef) and task 2 (Who’s who) to learn about some of the
organisms in the coral reef.
3. Use Task 1 to fill in columns 1, 3, 4 and 5. Task 2 will allow you to fill in column 2
Name of
Organism
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12
Category (from
task 2)
Diet
Producer
or
consumer?
If consumer,
indicate what type
of consumer
Task 3: Food chains (who eats who?)
 Complete the example food chains below
 ______________ 

_______________
_________________
Primary Producer
Primary consumer
Secondary Consumer

____________________ ___________ 
Producer

Primary consumer Secondary consumer
____________________ ___________ 
Producer
Primary consumer Secondary consumer
______________
Tertiary consumer
______________
Tertiary consumer
 _________________
Top consumer
Task 4 - Climb the Pyramid Questions:
a. Which organisms are at the bottom of every coral reef food chain?
__________________________________________________
b. List an organism that is an example of a producer in the coral reef __________________________
c. What is the term given to describe organisms that eat only plants?
________________________________________________
d. List an example from the coral reef ecosystem
___________________________________________________
e. What term is given to describe organisms that eat only other animals?
____________________________________________________
f. List an example from the coral reef ecosystem
_____________________________________________________
g. What % of energy is passed from one trophic level to the next? __________
h. Explain why top predators have the fewest in numbers in any given ecosystem
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
i. How much seaweed is needed to support a single 120kg reef shark (and all the organisms in the
trophic levels between the seaweed and the shark)?
___________________________
Task 5: Food Webs
In your journal complete the final food web. Cut out the pictures and tape them in your journal to construct
the web.