Question

This food chain shows organisms in an estuary ecosystem.
Use the food chain to complete the text below.
If the population of bottlenose dolphins increases, the population of bull sharks will likely
increase
decrease
, and the population of silver perch will likely
increase
decrease
.

Answer 1

If the population of bottlenose dolphins increases, the population of bull sharks will likely **decrease**, and the population of silver perch will likely **increase**.

This is because an increase in bottlenose dolphins may lead to increased predation pressure on the bull sharks, as they compete for similar food resources or could even prey on smaller sharks. Consequently, with fewer bull sharks, the silver perch population may grow due to reduced predation from the sharks.