Question

a food chain is a model that shows how the matter eaten by organisms moves through an ecosystem. below is a food chain from a tropical coral reef ecosystem off the coast of jamaica. use the information in the food chain to fill in the blank below. diatom copepod sergeant major black grouper matter first enters this food chain when the makes its own food using photosynthesis.

Explanation:

In a food chain, producers are organisms that make their own food via photosynthesis, starting the flow of matter. Diatoms are producers (like plants/algae) that perform photosynthesis. Copepods, sergeant major, and black grouper are consumers (they eat others), so they don't produce food. Thus, matter first enters via diatom.

Answer:

diatom