Guides

The context behind the profiles

A predator is a product of where it lives and what it can reach. These guides explain the structure of the ocean, how energy moves through it, and the pressures that decide which hunters persist.

Cross-section of the ocean showing a sunlit coral reef and kelp forest in the shallows, dim blue midwater below, and the dark deep sea floor beneath.

Ocean habitats

Marine Ecosystems: Ocean Zones and Habitats

How the ocean's vertical zones and coastal habitats shape which predators live where, from sunlit reefs to the cold, dark abyss.

12 minute read
Layered ocean scene showing sunlit plankton near the surface, a swarm of krill and schooling fish below, and larger predators cruising in the deeper blue.

Ocean energy flow

Ocean Food Webs: Plankton to Apex Predators

How sunlight becomes plankton and plankton becomes sharks and whales, why energy is lost at every step, and why top predators are rare.

12 minute read
A length of discarded fishing net drifting in open blue water, with a healthy coral reef and distant circling sharks visible beyond it in clearer water.

Threats and recovery

Ocean Predator Conservation: Threats and Recovery

The pressures that actually drive ocean predator declines, from fishing and bycatch to warming seas, and the measures with real evidence behind them.

14 minute read