Galapagos Food Web

Galapagos Food Web

By: Emily Attebery

Killer Whale

Trophic Level 6: Consumer, Carnivore

Common Name: killer whale, whale killer, Orca

Scientific Name: Orcinus Orca.

Habitat:found in both the open ocean and coastal waters

Environmental Threats: pollution, targeted hunting and illegal killing, and interactions with fisheries

Fits the Web: Eats furl seals, sea lions, bottled nosed porpoises, large and medium sized fish

Added Info: can weigh up to six tons.

Sea Lions

Trophic Level 5: Consumer ,Carnivore

Common Name: California sea lion, Galapagos sea lion

Scientific Name: Zalophus californanus

Habitat: On land and in the ocean waves

Environmental Threats: Historic hunting and sealing, Commercial fishing impacts

Fits the Web: Eats small and medium fish

Added Info: can hold their breath 15 - 20 minutes

Fur Seals

Groupers

Trophic Level 5: Consumer, Carnivore

Common Name: Australian fur seal, Brown fur seal,

South African fur seal

Scientific Name: Arctocephalus gazella

• Habitat: Pack and Sea ice, sandy beaches
• Environmental Threats: vulnerable to entanglement in fishing debris

Fits in Web: Feeds on fish and squid

Added Info: They detect prey with their whiskers.

Galapagos Sharks

Trophic Level 4: Consumer, Carnivore

Common Name: Hamlet, Jewfish

Scientific Name: Epinephelinae

Habitat: Reefs

Environmental Threats: Overfishing

Fits in Web: Eats small and medium sized fish, shrimps and lobsters. Eaten by Galapagos Sharks

Added Info: can reach lengths of more than 3 m (10 ft.) and weights greater than 454 kg (1,000 lb.).

Trophic Level 6 : Consumer, Carnivore

Common Name: grey reef whaler, and mackerel shark

Scientific Name: Carcharhinus galapagensis

Habitat: close inshore

Environmental threats: Fishing activities affect the sharks

Fits the Web: Eats large fish (like groupers), sea lions, sea turtles.

Added Info: They are curious; they like to bump into boats, oars, divers

Galapagos Penguins

Anchovy/ Sardine

Trophic Level 4: Consumer, carnivore

Common Name: Galapagos Penguin

Scientific Name: Spheniscus mendiculus

• Habitat: Cracks or caves in lava and beaches near sea level
• Environmental Threats: increasing frequency of ENSO events (reduces strength of the cool currents)

Fits in Web: Eats Anchovies and Sardines

Added Info: the only penguin species to live on the equator.

Zooplankton

Trophic Level 3: Consumer, Carnivore

Common Name: Anchovy

Scientific Name: Engraulis spp.

Habitat: Estuaries and bays

Environment Threats: Excessive catching population for food

Fits In Web: Feeds on Zoo plankton and is eaten by the Galapagos Penguins

Added Info: can be found in the Atlantic from Norway to South Africa, as well as in the Mediterranean sea

Phytoplankton

Trophic Level 2: Consumer, Carnivore

Common Name: Zooplankton

Scientific Name: Hyperia macrocephala

• Habitat: Throughout the water column in both fresh and marine environments.
• Environmental Threats: Acid levels rising in ocean due to increased temperature of water make it difficult for phytoplankton to adjust and survive.
• Fits in Web: Feeds on Phytoplankton and is eaten by Anchovies/ Sardines
• Added Info:•Large numbers of zooplankton can be killed by increases in water temperature that are common near factory outfall pipes

Ulva

Trophic Level 1 : Producer

Common Name: Krill

Scientific Name: Hyperia macrocephala

• Habitat: Surface of ocean water
• Environmental Threats: Acid levels rising in ocean due to increased temperature of water make it difficult for phytoplankton to adjust and survive.
• Fits Web: Feeds Zoo plankton

Added Info: There are over 40,000 types of marine phytoplankton

Humpback Whales

Trophic Level 1: Producer

Common Name: Ulva or Sea Lettuce

Scientific Name: U. lactuca

• Habitat: High and low intertidal zones
• Environmental Threats: When there is to much Ulva gathered in one area,nit can block sunlight for vegetation below, stopiing photosynthesis.

Fits Food Web: provides for consumers and herbivores (turtles, small fish)

Added Info: Can get up to 2ft long!

Trophic Level 3: Consumer, Carnivore

Common Name: Humpback Whale

Scientific Name: Megaptera novaeangliae

• Habitat: Regularly found around islands, specifically South Pacific.
• Environmental Threats: During the past 2 centuries, humpback whales have been hunted intensively
• Fits into Web: Wats Plankton and small fish, killer whales preys on its young.
• Added Info: They breathe voluntarily

Green Sea Turtles

Trophic Level 2: Consumer, Herbivore

Common Name: Green sea turtle

Scientific Name: Chelonia mydas

• Habitat: Coastlines, bays, protected shores
• Environmental Threats: commercial harvest for eggs and food, used for leather and sometimes stuffed for curios, incidental catches in commercial shrimp trawling:
• Fits in Web: Eats Ulva, is eaten by Galapagos sharks
• Added Info: Found in all temperate and tropical waters throughout the world.