Question

read the passage. then answer the question below.

in the mediterranean sea, an artificial reef is made from concrete saved from construction projects. the marine biologists who designed the reef did not want the heavy concrete to sink into soft mud. so, they put the reef in an area where the seafloor is hard and rocky.

the large concrete structure creates a habitat. clams and barnacles grow on the concrete. shrimp and crabs can hide from predators in the reef. the reef also attracts fish species such as dover sole and black scorpionfish, which eat the smaller organisms.

on an artificial reef in the mediterranean sea, the rocky bottom, the dover sole, and the shrimp make up which of the following? select all that apply.

a population
part of a community
part of an ecosystem

Explanation:

1. Population: A population is a group of individuals of the same species. The rocky bottom is not a species, Dover sole are one species, shrimp are another—so they don't form a single population.
2. Part of a Community: A community includes all living organisms (biotic factors) in an area. Dover sole (fish), shrimp (crustaceans), and other organisms (like clams, barnacles) are biotic, so they are part of the community. The rocky bottom is abiotic, but the living components (Dover sole, shrimp) are part of the community.
3. Part of an Ecosystem: An ecosystem includes both biotic (living: Dover sole, shrimp, clams, etc.) and abiotic (non - living: rocky bottom, concrete reef, water) components. So the rocky bottom (abiotic), Dover sole (biotic), and shrimp (biotic) together are part of the ecosystem.

Answer:

part of a community, part of an ecosystem