Galapagos Marine Food Web
Marine
Galapagos Islands — Ecuador, Eastern Pacific
Description
The Galapagos marine food web is fueled by nutrient-rich upwelling from the Cromwell Current, creating exceptional productivity in equatorial waters. This isolated archipelago supports endemic species including marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, and Galapagos penguins. El Nino events periodically disrupt the upwelling and cascade through the food web.
Trophic Pyramid
Level 5
Decomposers
Marine bacteria
Detritivorous crabs
Polychaete worms
3 species
Level 4
Tertiary Consumers
Galapagos shark
Orca
Hammerhead shark
3 species
Level 3
Secondary Consumers
Galapagos penguin
Blue-footed booby
Sea lion
3 species
Level 2
Primary Consumers
Marine iguana
Sea urchins
Sally Lightfoot crab
3 species
Level 1
Producers
Green algae
Brown algae
Phytoplankton
3 species
Apex Predators
Tertiary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
Key Interactions
- Marine iguanas are the only lizards that forage on marine algae
- Galapagos penguins depend on cold upwelling currents for fish prey
- El Nino events suppress upwelling, causing widespread starvation
- Blue-footed boobies perform plunge-diving to catch small schooling fish