Question

Suppose you census a population of sea otters this spring and count 140 individuals are predated (eaten) and 8 individuals die from disease. In the fall you count 39 pregnant females. You therefore predict that the sea otter population next year will be:

A) Stable
B) Decreasing
C) Increasing
D) Unpredictable

Answer 1

The sea otter population is predicted to remain stable.

Step-by-step explanation:

The answer is A) Stable.

The prediction is that the sea otter population will remain stable because the number of deaths and the number of births are both taken into account. Although 140 individuals are predated and 8 individuals die from disease, there are also 39 pregnant females, indicating upcoming births. Therefore, the population size is expected to stay relatively the same.