Question

With the information given, what can be inferred about the root cause for this decline of the

shellfish industry?

a) The loss of ecological balance due to the decline in the predator population caused an

increase in the population of rays, which led to decrease in shark’s prey- i.e., shellfish.

b) The loss of predator competition, between sharks and rays, to feed on shellfish led to

increased feeding by rays.

c) The loss of the symbiotic relationship between shellfish and sharks due to the falling

shark population, led to the decrease of shellfish populations.

d) The changing diet of the juvenile sharks led to the decline of the shellfish population.​

Answer 1

Answer:

Sharks and rays' abundance can decline considerably with fishing. Community changes, however, are more complex .

Answer 2

Answer:

The answer is a)The loss of ecological balance due to the decline in the predator population caused an increase in the population of rays, which led to a decrease in shark’s prey- i.e., shellfish.

Explanation:

The reason is why the answer is correct since the decline of the shark population in the food web due to overfishing leads to an increase in the population of rays.

• These rays are voracious predators of shellfish which leads to a decrease in the population of shellfish.
• When shellfish face a plummet in their number it affects the decline of the shellfish industry.
• When the predators are exceeded in number it causes an unbalanced condition in the ecosystem that simultaneously affect the number of prey species.