Maldives Atoll Food Web
Coral Reef
Maldives — Central Indian Ocean
Description
The Maldives consist of 1,192 coral islands on 26 atolls, making it the world's most coral-dependent nation. Reef food webs support the Maldivian economy through tourism and fisheries. Manta rays aggregate at cleaning stations and current-driven plankton channels between atolls, creating predictable marine megafauna encounters.
Trophic Pyramid
Level 5
Decomposers
Sea cucumbers
Reef bacteria
Detritivorous shrimp
3 species
Level 4
Tertiary Consumers
Grey reef shark
Whale shark
Tuna
3 species
Level 3
Secondary Consumers
Manta ray
Moray eel
Grouper
3 species
Level 2
Primary Consumers
Surgeonfish
Green chromis
Giant clam
3 species
Level 1
Producers
Branching Acropora
Coralline algae
Phytoplankton
3 species
Apex Predators
Tertiary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
Key Interactions
- Manta rays visit cleaning stations where wrasses remove parasites
- Channel currents between atolls concentrate plankton, attracting filter feeders
- Coral bleaching events restructure the entire reef food web by reducing habitat complexity
- Grey reef sharks maintain fish community structure through predation on herbivores and mesopredators