At a distance from the seashore, but still in sight of land.

When deep, cold water rises to the surface to replace warmer surface water which is blown by the wind. This cold water is usually rich in nutrients.

A group of plankton that feed on phytoplankton. Most zooplankton are so tiny they are only visible through a microscope but some are larger, such as jellyfish.

Tiny creatures that live in the top layer of the ocean, making food out of the sun’s rays. They are very important because they form the bottom of the food chain. Other animals such as whales, shrimp, snails, and jellyfish eat them.

Too small to be seen with the eye, but large enough to be seen under a microscope (a useful tool that makes tiny things appear bigger).

Marlin, or takaketonga in Māori, are a large fish which lives in warm seas, and which many fishermen catch for sport. It has a streamlined body and a long, pointed, snout or bill.

The ocean sunfish, or Rātāhuihui in Māori, is the heaviest known bony fish in the world with adults weighing between 247 and 1,000 kg. Another name for sunfish is Mola mola.

A food chain shows how each living thing gets food and how nutrients and energy are passed from creature to creature. Food chains start with plant life and end with animal life.