Question

in the 1900s, new englands harbor and gray seals were hunted to the brink of extinction due to bounty policies put in place to reduce their population. although the bounty was dropped in 1962, seals continued to be hunted because of their perceived threat to the fishing industry. in 1972, seals became a protected species under the marine mammal protection act. since then, both harbor and gray seal populations have increased dramatically. the graph shows the harbor seal population in the gulf of maine from 1970 - 1995. if no other changes are made to the ecosystem, predict what you think would happen to the harbor seal population in the next 20 years.

Explanation:

In a natural ecosystem, populations often reach a carrying capacity. As the seal population grows, resources (like food, space) become limited. Eventually, the population growth rate slows and stabilizes around the carrying capacity. Graph B shows a trend where the population growth rate decreases over time (the slope of the line of best - fit becomes less steep), which is in line with the concept of approaching a carrying capacity. Graph A shows continuous exponential - like growth which is not sustainable in a limited ecosystem. Graph C shows a decline after an increase which is not indicated by the initial trend (seals were protected and population was increasing). Graph D has an erratic pattern which is not consistent with the general trend of a population approaching equilibrium in a stable ecosystem.

Answer:

B.