Earthisblue - Blog Posts

But without primary producers (phytoplankton) there would be no krill

They’re krilly small and unassuming, but krill form the backbone of many ocean ecosystems! 

These tiny crustaceans consume phytoplankton, and in turn are food for whales, fish, and other marine animals. During their peak feeding times, blue whales can eat up to 8,000 pounds of krill each day! 

(Photo: Maps For Good, taken in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary)

“I make sure that when I am boating that nothing goes into the water, I try to recycle everything I can, and I don’t eat seafood unless it is invasive lionfish. I also participate in as many coastal cleanups to help to remove all of the garbage along our shorelines and I try to encourage others to do the same. We have a long ways to go in ocean conservation, but national marine sanctuaries, along with national parks, monuments, and wildlife refuges, afford us the best opportunity to help leverage limited resources to address coastal and marine conservation." 

– Mark Chiappone, research associate at Nova Southeastern University and assistant professor at Miami Dade College 

What inspires you about the ocean? 

(Photo: Scrawled filefish in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Credit: Daryl Duda)