Scientists researching Pacific sea otters find that many members of the population are infected by a parasite, and a number of the sea otters must be destroyed to save the entire sea otter population. One of the main foods of sea otters is sea urchin, which eat kelp. The kelp forest is home to many species of fish. How is destroying some of the sea otters most likely to affect fish living in the kelp forest?

Question

Scientists researching Pacific sea otters find that many members of the population are infected by a parasite, and a number of the sea otters must be destroyed to save the entire sea otter population. One of the main foods of sea otters is sea urchin, which eat kelp. The kelp forest is home to many species of fish. How is destroying some of the sea otters most likely to affect fish living in the kelp forest?

Emergency sea otters needed to save California's kelp forests

a
Destroying the sea otters will allow the fish population to remain constant.
b
Destroying the sea otters will cause the fish population to become extinct.
c
Destroying the sea otters will cause the fish population to decrease.
d
Destroying the sea otters will cause the fish population to increase.

Answer 1

c. Destroying the sea otters will likely cause the fish population to decrease. Sea otters play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem by controlling the sea urchin population, which in turn helps to protect the kelp forests where many species of fish reside. Without sea otters to keep the sea urchin numbers in check, the sea urchins could overgraze the kelp forests, leading to habitat destruction and a decrease in fish populations.