Which of the following correctly describes one of the paths through which energy flows in this ecosystem? A. Puffins receive ene
rgy from herring, herring receive energy from krill, and krill receive energy from phytoplankton. B. Phytoplankton receive energy from krill, krill receive energy from jellyfish, and jellyfish receive energy from sea turtles. C. Mussels receive energy from copepods, copepods receive energy from phytoplankton, and phytoplankton receive energy from krill. D. Lobsters receive energy from codfish, codfish receive energy from herring, and herring receive energy from krill.
A. Puffins receive energy from herring, herring receive energy from krill, and krill receive energy from phytoplankton.
Explanation:
A food chain represents the unidirectional network or path of the flow of energy and the matter in an ecosystem.
The aquatic food chain begins from the small or microscopic organisms called phytoplankton which is autotrophic therefore are considered the producers.
The phytoplanktons are eaten by a variety of other organisms in which the krills which live in the deep sea feeds on these phytoplanktons. The krills are the primary consumers who are eaten by small fish like herring which acts as secondary consumers. These herring are then eaten by the bird-like puffins and large fish which acts as tertiary consumers.
The scarcity of natural examples is due to the fact that there are population controls due to a limiting amount of resources such as food, light, shelter, water as well as to factors such as predation, climatic change, and disease.
