Chesapeake Bay Estuary Food Web
Wetland
Mid-Atlantic United States — Maryland and Virginia
Description
Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in North America, where freshwater from six major rivers mixes with Atlantic saltwater. Submerged aquatic vegetation and phytoplankton form the base of a food web that historically supported immense oyster and blue crab populations. Nutrient loading from agriculture has altered this food web through eutrophication.
Trophic Pyramid
Level 5
Decomposers
Anaerobic bacteria
Benthic worms
Fungi
3 species
Level 4
Tertiary Consumers
Osprey
Bottlenose dolphin
Bald eagle
3 species
Level 3
Secondary Consumers
Blue crab
Striped bass
Great blue heron
3 species
Level 2
Primary Consumers
Eastern oyster
Menhaden
Zooplankton
3 species
Level 1
Producers
Eelgrass
Phytoplankton
Marsh cordgrass
3 species
Apex Predators
Tertiary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
Key Interactions
- Eastern oysters filter up to 190 liters of water per day, improving water clarity
- Blue crabs are omnivorous predators and prey for striped bass and herons
- Menhaden schools convert phytoplankton into fish biomass at industrial scale
- Seasonal hypoxic dead zones force mobile species into shallower waters