What Is a First Level Consumer in an Ocean Biome?

Primary Producers

• First level consumers cannot exist without primary producers. Primary producers are typically marine plants, such as algae, seaweed, and phytoplankton. These producers absorb sunlight for photosynthesis. Photosynthesis creates glucose, or sugar, within the marine plants for life and growth. These marine plants must remain near the ocean's surface for continual photosynthesis processes. Some plants are stationary, such as anchored kelp or seaweed, while others float freely with the ocean's currents, like the microscopic phytoplankton.

First Level Consumer Description

• First level consumers reside near the ocean's surface, as well as within coastal tide pool regions. These consumers feed directly on the primary producers. All first level consumers are herbivore, or plant-eating, organisms. Some consumers remain underwater for their entire lives, whereas others can move from the water to a rocky coast in search of food.

Deposit Feeders

• Coastal tide pools typically have many rocks that are periodically submerged by the ocean's tides. These rocks develop a bacteria-filled slime across their surfaces. This slime is a form of algae, or primary producer. First level consumers, such as crabs and worms, feed on these slimy deposits for nourishment.

Browsers and Grazers

• Browsers and grazers are also part of the first level consumer description. They reside in the upper ocean levels, as well as along rocky shorelines. Snails scrape algae from rocky shorelines, whereas damselfish graze on algae across submerged rocks. Additionally, sea urchins enjoy feeding on seaweed, as well as algae.

Filter Feeders

• Filter feeders trap floating phytoplankton within their bodies for consumption. First level consumers, like sponges, bivalves, and worms, strain large amounts of ocean water for harnessing a substantial phytoplankton volume.

Benefits

• A large volume of primary producers allows the first level consumers to be extremely well fed. As a result, first level consumer populations swell, providing a large food source for predators. The contribution of the primary producers and first level consumers starts the intricate ocean biome food web for the remainder of the ocean's species.