In the early 2000s, there were thick kelp forests in the Pacific Ocean. Kelp is a photosynthetic brown algae that can grow very tall and thick, and is used as food by herbivores such as sea urchins and as a habitat by many species. In 2013-2015, a toxic algal bloom, unusually warm waters, and the outbreak of a new disease killed many starfish and created unfavorable conditions for kelp. As a result, kelp forests are 93% smaller now than they were in 2006. Sea urchins eat kelp, and sea otters eat sea urchins. Sea otters are preyed upon by killer whales (orcas). If killer whales move away from this coastal area because of the reduced kelp forests, what do you expect will occur soon after the whales leave?
