Sea Otter:
This image shows a sea otter in a kelp forest. Sea otters live along the coasts of the Pacific Northwest in kelp forests and feed primarily on sea urchins and other crustaceans. Kelp forests are highly diverse ecosystems and provide nursery habitat, food, and shelter for various marine mammals, fish, and invertebrate species. A simplified food chain is provided below:
Sea otter --> Sea urchin --> Kelp
Use the passage to answer the question.
Which of the following statements best describes the sea otter's role in its habitat?
A. Sea otters are the dominant species because they have more biomass than sea urchins.
B. Sea otters are a keystone species that keep sea urchin populations from destroying the kelp.
C. Sea urchins are ecosystem engineers because they plant new kelp.
D. Sea urchins have a negligible effect on kelp forests because they are few in number compared with other species.
1 answer
1 answer