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.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

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).{{cn|date=May 2025}}

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>