Question

what is the meaning of the word implausible as used in the passage? use the antonym likely as a context clue to help you determine the meaning. in 2013, hundreds of unfamiliar jellyfish turned up in fishing nets in the adriatic sea. scientists say its implausible that these jellies had been around for an extended period of time; the adriatic is one of the most well - studied bodies of water on earth. its likely that the jellyfish were members of an invasive species that had recently arrived in the adriatic, due to the heavy transcontinental shipping activity that takes place there. causing suspicion unusual or weird hard to believe

Explanation:

The antonym "likely" means probable. "Implausible" is the opposite, so it means hard to believe. The context also supports this as scientists find it hard - to - believe the jellyfish had been there long in a well - studied sea.

Answer:

hard to believe