Tide pools are habitats for several kinds of organisms that attach to the rocky surface and depend upon tides for food and oxygen. Sea stars present in these tide pools feed on mussels and other shellfish that have no other natural predators. How will it MOST likely impact species diversity if all of the sea stars are removed from the tide pool ecosystem?
a. Diversity will increase as the rate of predation decreases.
b. Diversity will decrease as competition for space increases.
c. Diversity will increase as the recycling of nutrients decreases.
d. Diversity will decrease as food and oxygen supplies increase.

b. Diversity will decrease as competition for space increases.

Explanation:

If the natural predators of a group of organisms are removed from the ecosystem, diversity within the ecosystem will decrease as competition for spaces increases.

The removal of natural predator of mussels and other shellfish will lead to an initial surge in the population of these organisms. As the population increases, the competition for spaces increases and the competition exclusion principle states that no two organisms in competition can coexist for a long time.

Hence, as competition increases, weak individuals within the population die off and are replaced by few strong individuals. This leads to decrease in the diversity within the tide pool ecosystem.

more words for this could be abiotic and biotic

abiotic: living organisms within an ecosystem

biotic: non-living organisms within an ecosystem