Turning the Tables

About this episode

This episode explores how smaller ocean organisms can feed on the eggs of larger species, altering the dynamics of the marine food web.

<p><img width="2560" height="1553" src="https://utmsi.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/801026_Turning-the-Tables-scaled.jpg" class="attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="diagram of marine food web" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://utmsi.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/801026_Turning-the-Tables-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://utmsi.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/801026_Turning-the-Tables-300x182.jpg 300w, https://utmsi.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/801026_Turning-the-Tables-1024x621.jpg 1024w, https://utmsi.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/801026_Turning-the-Tables-768x466.jpg 768w, https://utmsi.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/801026_Turning-the-Tables-1536x932.jpg 1536w, https://utmsi.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/801026_Turning-the-Tables-2048x1242.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">Most of the time, life in the oceans works in one direction: the big guys eat the little guys. That passes nutrients up the food web. But sometimes, the little guys may turn the tables. Egged on by annual spawnings, they may poach the…

Topics covered

• ocean life
• food web
• nutrient cycling
• marine research
• egg predation

Keywords

• ocean
• food web
• red drum
• egg predation
• marine science
• fatty acids
• jellyfish

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Texas Marine Science Institute

Products: red drum

Places: Texas coast, Port Aransas

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