Your friend comes to you with a problem. It seems his shrimp boats aren't catching nearly as much shrimp as they used to. He can't understand why because originally he caught all the shrimp he could handle. Each year he added a new boat, and for a long time each boat caught tons of shrimp. As he added more boats, there came a time when each boat caught somewhat fewer shrimp, and now, each boat is catching a lot less shrimp. Which of the following topics might help your friend understand the source of his problem?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Density-dependent population regulation refers to the idea that as a population increases, there are limiting factors that can decrease population growth. Intrinsic characteristics of population growth includes things like competition for resources and disease transmission, which could be affecting the shrimp population. Your friend may need to consider if the ocean is becoming overfished, and if that is affecting the shrimp population.

Your Friend Comes to You with a Problem