#5 - The number of codfish in the North Atlantic has declined substantially as the population of

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

Weaken—Cause and Effect. The correct answer choice is (D).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[saiffshaikhh@gmail.com]

Hi I got this answer right but I wanted clarification on my thought process. By feeding on capelin, cod is taking away resources from the harp seal, so the harp seal ends up eating the cod? Or by eating the capelin, the seals then reduce the availability of a staple diet for the cod, thus reducing their population?

[Jeff Wren]

Hi saiffshaikhh,

Your second interpretation is correct.

The stimulus states that harp seals generally do not eat codfish as part of their diet, so to weaken the argument we want to find an answer that shows how harp seals are indirectly reducing the population of codfish.

One possibility, which Answer D provides, is that the harp seals eat the same foods that codfish eat (i.e. capelin) and that this increased competition for food has caused a decrease in the number codfish.

Another possibility that was not mentioned in the answers would have been if the harp seals somehow increased the population of some other animal that is a predator of codfish. This would also indirectly reduce the population of codfish.