Integrated testThe sea otter is a small mammal that lives in waters along the western coast of North America from California to Alaska When some sea otter populations off the Alaskan coast started rapidly declining a few years ago it caused much concern

The article and the lecture both deal with the declining number of sea otters. Whilst the author of the article thinks that the decline by pollution hypothesis and provides three reasons, the lecturer opposes the author's claims. in his opinion that the predation hypothesis is more acceptable.

First, the writer claims that there are many known sources of oil rings along the coast and chemical pollution. Furthermore, it is stated in the article that could decrease life-threatening resistance of otters and cause death. In contrast, the speaker argues that no one finds the remains of dead otters on the beach. Additionally, he maintains that the predators ate otters and caused a declining number of them.

Second, the author mentions that other sea mammals were declining. On top of that, he adds that orcas hunt large prey only like whales and not hunt otters. However, the lecturer calls that argument into question by saying that whales disappeared to human hunters. Furthermore, he mentions that orcas started to change their habits by eating small mammals like seals and sea lions, and cause declining of them.

Finally, the writer asserts that pollution explains the uneven pattern of otter decline. In addition, in the article, it is mentioned that at some locations otters decline and in other locations remained stable. As opposed to the author, the lecturer holds that some locations are easy to accept to Orcus. He highlights that the Orcus is large and hard to access in some places like shallow and rocky locations where the number of otters is still high.