how much energy does a sea otter obtain from the sun in an aquatic ecosystem in a percentage?
Sea otters are not direct producers of energy from the sun, as they do not perform photosynthesis. Instead, sea otters are consumers in the aquatic food chain. They obtain their energy indirectly from the sun through the consumption of other organisms.
The energy that sea otters obtain from the sun can be estimated by looking at the efficiency of energy transfer from one trophic level to another. This transfer of energy from one level to the next is typically around 10%, known as the 10% rule.
In an aquatic ecosystem, primary producers like phytoplankton or aquatic plants capture energy from the sun through photosynthesis. This energy is then passed on to primary consumers, such as herbivorous fish or crustaceans, who eat the plants or phytoplankton. When sea otters consume these primary consumers, they obtain some of the energy stored in them.
Considering the 10% rule, only about 10% of the energy stored in the primary consumers would be transferred to the sea otters. Therefore, sea otters would obtain approximately 10% of the energy originally captured from the sun by plants or phytoplankton in the aquatic ecosystem.