Lower Food Web
Many types of organisms live within the nooks and crevices of aquatic reefs, part of the Bay's lower food web.
The lower food web includes the benthic and planktonic communities.
- The benthos are plants and animals that live at the bottom of the Bay, including worms, shellfish and bottom-feeding fish.
- Plankton are free-floating, often microscopic plants and animals that live in the water column. The plankton community includes phytoplankton (algae), zooplankton (tiny animals) and bacteria.
Why is the lower food web important to the Bay?
The entire lower food web—both the benthic and planktonic communities—are important indicators of the health of the Bay.
- Lower Food Web: Information from Maryland Sea Grant on the importance of the lower food web to the Bay ecosystem.