Editing Predation (section)

=== Trophic transfer ===
{{Further|Energy flow (ecology)}}

Trophic transfer within an ecosystem refers to the transport of energy and [[nutrient]]s as a result of predation. Energy passes from one [[trophic level]] to the next as predators consume [[organic matter]] from another [[organism]]'s body. Within each transfer, while there are uses of energy, there are also losses of energy.

Marine trophic levels vary depending on locality and the size of the [[Primary production|primary producers]]. There are generally up to six trophic levels in the open ocean, four over continental shelves, and around  three in upwelling zones.<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1016/B978-075063384-0/50061-X |chapter=Energy Flow and Mineral Cycling |title=Biological Oceanography: An Introduction |date=1997 |last1=Lalli |first1=Carol M. |last2=Parsons |first2=Timothy R. |pages=112–146 |isbn=978-0-7506-3384-0 }}</ref> For example, a marine habitat with five trophic levels could be represented as follows: [[Herbivore]]s (feed primarily on [[phytoplankton]]); [[Carnivore]]s (feed primarily on other [[zooplankton]]/animals); [[Detritivore]]s (feed primarily on dead organic matter/[[detritus]]; [[Omnivore]]s (feed on a mixed diet of phyto- and zooplankton and detritus); and [[Mixotroph]]s which combine [[autotroph]]y (using light energy to grow without intake of any additional organic compounds or nutrients) with [[heterotroph]]y (feeding on other plants and animals for energy and nutrients—herbivores, omnivores and carnivores, and detritivores).

Trophic transfer efficiency measures how effectively energy is transferred or passed up through higher trophic levels of the marine [[food web]]. As energy moves up the trophic levels, it decreases due to heat, waste, and the natural [[Metabolism|metabolic processes]] that occur as predators consume their prey. The result is that only about 10% of the energy at any trophic level is transferred to the next level. This is often referred to as "the 10% rule" which limits the number of trophic levels that an individual ecosystem is capable of supporting.<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 February 2023 |title=Energy transfer in ecosystems |url=https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/energy-transfer-ecosystems/ |access-date=18 February 2023 |website=National Geographic}}</ref>