The Living Mud: How Tiny Predators Feed the Ocean | Part 2 | SLICE EARTH

In the mudflats of French Guiana, billions of algae and bacteria sustain a feeding ground invisible to the naked eye. Nematodes, rotifers and flatworms hunt through the sediment, passing the energy stored by microscopic life from one organism to another. Their compact bodies allow them to navigate a world with barely any room to move. As the tide rises, copepods, shrimp and young fish arrive from the sea to feast on the mudflat’s resources. The retreating water carries these consumers offshore, where they become prey for larger fish. The tides connect this microscopic feeding ground to marine predators, carrying the mud’s accumulated energy out to sea. Documentary: Silt, Source of Life Director: Luc Riolon Production: Les Films en Vrac, France Télévisions, Ushuaïa TV, IRD & UICN (2023) #mudflats #foodchain #microscopiclife #predation #frenchguiana #bacteria #algae #flatworms #copepods #tides #marineecosystems