food web

However, the food web is complicated, and just because the warmer weather benefits the moths on paper doesn’t mean the moths will end up on top.

"Emperor penguins are at the top of the food web.They are a reflection of how lower levels of the marine food web are being impacted," Zitterbart said.

Acidification, which is also harmful to sea life and can alter marine food webs, happens as ocean waters absorb carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas warming the world.

The basis of the marine food web in the Arctic, the phytoplankton, responds to heatwaves much differently than to constantly elevated temperatures.

Scientists have found DDT in zooplankton and deep-sea fish off the coast of L.A., indicating the toxic chemical might be infiltrating the base of the food web.