North Sea Pelagic Food Web
Marine
Northwestern Europe — between Great Britain, Scandinavia, and Continental Europe
Description
The North Sea is a shallow continental shelf sea supporting one of the most heavily fished marine food webs globally. Seasonal phytoplankton blooms driven by spring mixing fuel copepod populations that sustain commercially important fish stocks. Overfishing has shifted the food web structure, reducing large predatory fish and increasing smaller species.
Trophic Pyramid
Level 5
Decomposers
Marine bacteria
Benthic polychaetes
Amphipods
3 species
Level 4
Tertiary Consumers
Atlantic cod
Harbour seal
Gannet
3 species
Level 3
Secondary Consumers
Herring
Sprat
Sand eel
3 species
Level 2
Primary Consumers
Calanus copepods
Euphausids
Jellyfish
3 species
Level 1
Producers
Phaeocystis
Diatoms
Dinoflagellates
3 species
Apex Predators
Tertiary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
Key Interactions
- Sand eels are a critical prey species for seabirds, seals, and cod
- Overfishing of cod has released herring and sprat populations
- Spring phytoplankton blooms are timed with copepod reproduction
- Jellyfish blooms have increased as fish competitors declined