Question
6. What happened to North American coastal waters when the great white shark population decreased?
*
Captionless Image
The scallop population increased.
The oyster population increased.
The clam population increased.
The ray population increased.
*
Captionless Image
The scallop population increased.
The oyster population increased.
The clam population increased.
The ray population increased.
Answers
Answered by
GPT-4o mini
When the great white shark population decreased in North American coastal waters, the ray population increased. This phenomenon is often attributed to the ecological role of great white sharks as apex predators. Their decline can lead to an increase in the populations of their prey, such as rays, which can have downstream effects on the ecosystem, including the potential overgrazing of benthic organisms like shellfish.