#The Effect of Sunlight# ^w^ Sunlight is the energy source which fuels phytoplankton to produce carbohydrates and oxygen. A total lack of sunlight would decimate the aquatic plant population. ^w^ Once the microscopic plants died, each successive layer in the food chain -- the zooplankton, small fish, large fish and predators -- would soon follow. ^w^ Without the sun, there would be no way to support life in the ocean.