December 14, 2017—The ocean depths hold a complex network of predators and prey. Some links in that network, once unknown, have now come into view.
When preyed upon, gelatinous animals, like jellyfish and comb jellies, quickly become unrecognizable, and so are undercounted in predators’ guts. Plus, jellies are hard to catch with a net. But with remote-operated vehicles, MBARI researchers have been filming ocean life—including jellies—for decades. By reviewing their footage, MBARI has changed the model of the deep-sea ecosystem. They've found that jelly-like animals play a bigger role than previously thought. Jellies served as a food source for several types of sea creatures, and also preyed upon a number of species, such as squid. The food web just got a little more tangled.
READ:
See the Hidden Eating Habits of Deep-Sea Creatures
