When we think of the animals of the oceans our first thoughts are generally of whales, sharks, dolphins, tuna fish, and perhaps octopusses. All these have been in the news lately, also in this magazine, for reasons regarding their behaviour or exploitation. These are large animals, and like the lesser food fishes such as salmon and herring, we have many reasons for our interest in them. However, even the very small acquatic creatures such as krill and zooplankton are important because they are at the bottom of the food chains of the larger fish which themselves again are food for those at the top of the chains, we humans. Thus, all marine life in someway or other is important to us.