Unique field survey yields first big-picture view of deep-sea food webs

Deep-sea animals have been systematically studied for over 100 years, yet scientists are still learning about what many of these animals eat. A new paper by MBARI researchers Anela Choy, Steve Haddock, and Bruce Robison documents the first comprehensive study of deep-sea food webs, using hundreds of video observations of animals caught in the act of feeding off the Central California coast. The study shows that deep-sea jellies are key predators, and provides new information on how deep-sea animals interact with life near the ocean surface.