Asked by L

Scientists have been studying the size of three populations along the coast of Antarctica. In this ecosystem, penguins eat sardines (a type of small fish), and sardines eat zooplankton (very small animals that live in water). The data showed that all three populations were stable. Then the penguin population decreased suddenly. What will likely happen to the size of the sardine population as a result?

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
The sardine population will most likely increase. With fewer penguins eating them, sardines experience less mortality and can reproduce more successfully. (That rise may be limited over time by factors such as available zooplankton, disease, or carrying capacity, and can cause a decline in zooplankton.)