Question 32
1 pts
Echinoderms can have massive impacts on marine ecosystems if natural predators are removed.
What was the consequence of removing the sea otter from Pacific Coast oceans?
Other large marine mammals could now access the otter territory and were much more efficient at
wiping out all echinoderms.
Sea stars were predated by larger echinoderms, which created large echinoderm dead zones.
Sea stars were able to move faster without predators, which allowed them to consume kelp seeds
before they could germinate.
Urchin populations were left unchecked, which in-turn decimated giant kelp populations, creating urchin
barrens.
1 pts
