Every night, the largest animal migration on Earth takes place in the dark ocean. Known as Diel Vertical Migration, billions of zooplankton rise from mesopelagic depths of 500 meters to the surface ocean to feed under the safety of darkness.
The Pelagic Food Web at Night
This massive influx of biological biomass drives nocturnal apex predators—from manta rays and reef sharks to bioluminescent siphonophores—to congregate around underwater light gradients where zooplankton concentrate.