Question

read the passage. then answer the question below.

a dock in the red sea in egypt provides a place for boats to tie up. it is also a habitat for many marine organisms. small silverside fish shelter in the shadows below the dock, hiding from larger fish.

seaweed and invertebrates, such as corals and sponges, grow on the wooden posts that support the dock. sponges are filter feeders. they feed by filtering microscopic algae and small animals out of the salt water.

beneath a boat dock in the red sea, the silversides, the sponges, and the salt water 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. Here, silversides, sponges are different species, and salt water is not a species, so it's not a population.
2. Community: A community consists of all the different populations (species) in a given area. Silversides (one species) and sponges (another species) are part of the community in that dock area.
3. Ecosystem: An ecosystem includes all living (biotic) components (like silversides, sponges) and non - living (abiotic) components (like salt water). So the silversides, sponges, and salt water together are part of an ecosystem.

The correct options are:

• part of a community
• part of an ecosystem

(Note: The "a population" option is incorrect as explained above.)

Answer:

• part of a community
• part of an ecosystem