A researcher claims that sea otters help protect coastal ecosystems from erosion because they prey on sea urchins, allowing kelp forests to flourish and dampen wave energy.
Which finding, if true, would most strongly support the researcher's claim?
- A
Some kelp species grow more than 30 meters tall.
- B
Sea otters give birth to one pup at a time.
- C
Sea otters were once hunted for their fur.
- Dcheck_circle
Coastlines with healthy sea otter populations have denser kelp forests and experience measurably less wave-driven erosion than nearby coastlines without sea otters.
Explanation
A links otter presence to denser kelp and reduced erosion, supporting the entire causal chain. B, C, and D are tangential.