Environmentalists are pleading with the government to place sea otters on the endangered species list. Otters are part of a complex food web. They are one of the few animals that eat sea urchins. Sea urchins eat kelp, a kind of seaweed. When there are too few otters, sea urchin populations are not kept in check. More sea urchins means more kelp is consumed. This is harmful to a variety of species that rely on kelp for food or shelter. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agrees that placing otters on the endangered list is a good idea. Although otters are already protected from hunters, an endangered listing could raise awareness that the animals are still in trouble.

Question

Environmentalists are pleading with the government to place sea otters on the endangered species list. Otters are part of a complex food web. They are one of the few animals that eat sea urchins. Sea urchins eat kelp, a kind of seaweed. When there are too few otters, sea urchin populations are not kept in check. More sea urchins means more kelp is consumed. This is harmful to a variety of species that rely on kelp for food or shelter. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agrees that placing otters on the endangered list is a good idea. Although otters are already protected from hunters, an endangered listing could raise awareness that the animals are still in trouble.

Do It!

Sea otters are _________ to the ecosystem.

Press enter to interact with the item, and press tab button or down arrow until reaching the Submit button once the item is selected
A intrusive
B distinctive
C lethal
D essential

Answer 1