Antarctic Peninsula Coastal Food Web
Marine
Antarctic Peninsula — Western Antarctica
Description
The Antarctic Peninsula is warming faster than almost any other region on Earth, with dramatic impacts on sea ice-dependent food webs. Adelie penguin populations are declining as chinstrap and gentoo penguins expand southward. The loss of sea ice reduces krill nursery habitat, threatening the food web from the bottom up.
Trophic Pyramid
Level 5
Decomposers
Psychrophilic bacteria
Amphipod scavengers
Benthic polychaetes
3 species
Level 4
Tertiary Consumers
Leopard seal
Orca
Weddell seal
3 species
Level 3
Secondary Consumers
Adelie penguin
Antarctic silverfish
Antarctic tern
3 species
Level 2
Primary Consumers
Antarctic krill
Salps
Antarctic limpet
3 species
Level 1
Producers
Sea ice diatoms
Phaeocystis colonies
Benthic algae
3 species
Apex Predators
Tertiary Consumers
Secondary Consumers
Primary Consumers
Producers
Key Interactions
- Sea ice loss reduces under-ice krill nursery habitat, causing population declines
- Salps are replacing krill in warmer waters, providing less nutrition for predators
- Adelie penguins require sea ice for foraging and are declining on the peninsula
- Leopard seals patrol penguin colonies, ambushing birds entering and leaving water