Drop in the Ocean

Leatherback turtles are one of the world's largest reptiles. They feed almost exclusively on jellyfish — except when they make the deadly mistake of swallowing plastic bags, balloons and other trash that resemble their favorite food. Sea turtles are even at risk before they’re born: Rising sea levels will degrade or destroy beaches where the creatures lay their eggs.

Moon jellies favor the coastal waters of temperate and tropical oceans where their food — almost any planktonic crustacean, mollusk, fish, fish eggs, even other jellyfish — is abundant. They vary in color and transparency — and in the potency of their stinging tentacles. If the conditions are right, moon jellies can occur in almost plague-like concentrations, clogging fishers’ nets and capsizing small boats.

Transparent comb jellies drift through the world’s oceans, often in colossal swarms measuring many miles across, feeding on sea butterflies and smaller jellyfish. As they propel themselves through the water, the movement catches the ambient light and splits it into a rainbow of colors, producing stunning “light shows.”

Whale sharks are filter feeders, eating plankton — tiny plants and bacteria that form the foundation of the ocean food web — and small squid and fish. As climate change warms ocean waters, it affects where species live, eat and migrate. Shifting food cycles and habitats will alter the entire marine food web — and for whale sharks, the largest fish in the world, the impact will be significant.

Found nearly everywhere there is water, the global copepod population is unimaginably vast. Whether floating through the water or carpeting the sea floor, these ubiquitous plankton are a vital part of the marine food web, serving (both directly and indirectly) as a food source for many commercially important fish species. Many copepods are bioluminescent, lighting up waves as they break on the shore.