A Feeding Frenzy in Shallow Temperate Seas
In A Feeding Frenzy in Shallow Temperate Seas, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains that water rich in nutrients means plenty of fish and plenty of predators. Dense shoals of fish dodge hungry sea lions and dusky dolphins in this undersea spectacle. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Lesson Express
Q: Describe the movements of the shoals of fish and the sea lions.
A: The shoals move in a cluster so dense it sometimes blocks the Sun, moving all together and changing direction quickly; the sea lions are agile and playful but seem unhurried about hunting.
Q: How does the changing season lead to the collapse of a food chain?
A: In midsummer the surface nutrients in the water have all been absorbed (perhaps due to increasing temperatures); without algae, small fish have no food, and so on up the food chain.
Q: Why doesn’t the food chain collapse in the temperate shallow seas off of California?
A: Ocean currents constantly stir up nutrients from the deep.
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In Inside a Humpback Whale Nursery, narrator Sir David Attenborough discovers what a whale nursery is like. Explore the shallow seas where humpback whales sing to attract a mate, birth calves, and teach them to swim. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In How Dolphins Hunt in Shallow Water, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains that shallow water is no problem for smart and skilled bottlenose dolphins. See the many strategies they have for hunting fish in just centimeters of water. This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.