Predator-Prey Dynamics in Marine Ecosystems

Marine predator–prey interactions underpin the structure and function of coastal, pelagic and deep-sea environments. Predation exerts top-down control on prey populations, driving evolutionary adaptations in morphology, behaviour and life history, while prey density, distribution and defensive traits feed back to influence predator search patterns and energy budgets. The interplay of functional responses—how a predator’s consumption rate varies with prey density—and handling times shapes population stability, coexistence and the emergence of trophic cascades. Habitat complexity, from seagrass meadows to rocky reefs and bathyal sediments, modulates encounter rates and provides refuges that alter the outcome of these interactions. Warming seas and invasive species add dynamic pressures, shifting predator performance and prey vulnerability. Understanding these dynamics is critical for ecosystem-based management, biodiversity conservation and sustainable fisheries. Recent advances integrate behavioural ecology, energetics and environmental variability to predict how climate change and anthropogenic stressors will reshape marine food webs globally.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have documented the establishment and ecological consequences of invasive bivalves and gastropods. Investigations into self-sustaining populations of a colonising mussel in northern European waters reveal seasonal gonadal cycles and habitat associations that promote rapid reproduction and influence native prey assemblages through altered predation and nutrient fluxes. Complementary work on an invasive predatory snail demonstrates significant male-biased surface activity during the main copulation period, affecting encounter rates with clam prey and informing removal strategies to protect shellfish stocks. Together, these efforts highlight how reproductive ecology and life-history traits of invaders interconnect with indigenous predator–prey networks and guide management to mitigate ecological and economic impacts.

Predator-Prey Dynamics in Marine Ecosystems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in predator-prey dynamics in marine ecosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Functional response: The relationship between prey density and the rate at which a predator consumes prey, shaping population-level dynamics.

Handling time: The duration required for a predator to capture, subdue and ingest a single prey item, influencing feeding efficiency.

Trophic cascade: Indirect effects of predators on lower trophic levels, occurring when changes in predator abundance alter prey and habitat structure.

Optimal foraging theory: A framework predicting that predators will adopt strategies to maximise net energy intake while minimising the costs of searching and handling.

References

1. Intra- and Interspecific Foraging and Feeding Interactions in Three Sea Stars and a Gastropod from the Deep Sea. Biology (2023).
2. Evidence for self-sustaining populations of Arcuatula senhousia in the UK and a review of this species’ potential impacts within Europe. Scientific Reports (2021).
3. Energetic trade-offs: Implications for selection between two bivalve prey species by a carnivorous muricid gastropod. PLOS ONE (2021).
4. Male-biased sex ratio in the crawling individuals of an invasive naticid snail during summer: implications for population management. Scientific Reports (2022).
5. Temperature-dependent feeding behavior in the brown box crab, Lopholithodes foraminatus. Frontiers in Marine Science (2023).