how much energy does bacteria that exists in aquatic ecosystem receive from the sun in a food web?
Bacteria in aquatic ecosystems receive energy indirectly from the sun through the process of photosynthesis performed by primary producers (e.g., algae and phytoplankton). These primary producers convert sunlight into chemical energy through photosynthesis and are at the base of the food web.
The amount of energy that bacteria receive from the sun in a food web depends on multiple factors, such as the availability of sunlight, the efficiency of photosynthesis, and the transfer of energy to higher trophic levels. While bacteria themselves do not directly use sunlight for energy, they rely on the organic matter produced by primary producers, which is subsequently consumed by other organisms (e.g., zooplankton, small fish, etc.) in the food web.
The transfer of energy from one trophic level to another is often inefficient, with only a fraction of energy being passed on. It is estimated that energy transfer between trophic levels is typically around 10%, known as the "10% rule". This means that bacteria indirectly receive a portion of the solar energy captured by primary producers, but the exact quantity is difficult to determine and highly variable depending on the ecosystem.