South Pacific Seamount Food Web
Marine
South Pacific Ocean — Tasman Sea, around New Zealand and Pacific island chains
Description
Seamounts are underwater mountains rising from the deep ocean floor, creating current upwelling that concentrates nutrients and supports dense biological communities. These hotspots attract pelagic predators including tuna, sharks, and cetaceans. Seamount-endemic species assemblages include cold-water corals and sponge gardens growing on the rocky substrate.
Trophic Pyramid
Level 5
Decomposers
Deep-sea bacteria
Scavenging amphipods
Brittlestars
3 species
Level 4
Tertiary Consumers
Bigeye tuna
Sperm whale
Blue shark
3 species
Level 3
Secondary Consumers
Orange roughy
Alfonsino
Mesopelagic squid
3 species
Level 2
Primary Consumers
Zooplankton aggregations
Deep-sea corals
Glass sponges
3 species
Level 1
Producers
Upwelling-driven phytoplankton
Deep-water coral symbiotic algae
Chemosynthetic bacteria
3 species
Apex Predators
Tertiary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
Key Interactions
- Taylor column circulation over seamounts traps plankton, concentrating food resources
- Orange roughy aggregate over seamounts for spawning, making them vulnerable to trawling
- Sperm whales dive to seamount depths to hunt squid
- Deep-sea trawling on seamounts destroys century-old coral and sponge communities