In the northern Pacific Ocean, sea otters feed on sea urchins and sea stars.Sea urchins feed on kelp, and sea stars feed on mussels.Beginning in the 1700s, sea otters were hunted for their fur and driven nearly to extinction in some areas, resulting in trophic cascades in their communities.When the fur trade ended, sea otter numbers increased and their communities began to recover.One would expect this recovery to lead to increased numbers of _______ and decreased numbers of _______.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

With the recovery of sea otter populations, their predation on sea urchins and sea stars would increase, leading to a decrease in these populations. Consequently, the kelp and mussels, which are preyed upon by sea urchins and sea stars respectively, would experience reduced predation pressure and their numbers would increase.

In the Northern Pacific Ocean, Sea Otters Feed on Sea