Essentials of Ecology

S58 SUPPLEMENT 9

Producer

to primary

consumer

Primary

to secondary

consumer

Secondary to

higher-level

consumer

All producers and

consumers to

decomposers

Gray reef shark

Parrot fish

Hard corals

Symbiotic

algae

Phytoplankton

Algae

Sponges

Zooplankton

Bacteria

Moray

eel

Coney

Blackcap basslet

Banded coral

shrimp

Brittle star

Sergeant major

Blue Fairy basslet

tang

Sea nettle

Green sea

turtle

Gray reef shark

Parrot fish

Hard corals

Symbiotic

algae

Phytoplankton

Algae

Sponges

Zooplankton

Bacteria

Moray

eel

Coney

Blackcap basslet

Banded coral

shrimp

Brittle star

Sergeant major

Blue Fairy basslet

tang

Sea nettle

Green sea

turtle

Figure 6 Components and interactions in a coral
reef ecosystem. When these organisms die, decom-
posers break down their organic matter into miner-
als used by plants. Colored arrows indicate transfers
of matter and energy among producers, primary
consumers (herbivores), secondary or higher-level
consumers (carnivores), and decomposers. Organ-
isms are not drawn to scale. See the photo of a
coral reef in Figure 8-1, left, p. 162. Question: How
would the species in this ecosystem be affected if
phytoplankton populations suffered a sharp drop?