Along the coast of australia, increasing ocean temperatures have allowed a species of sea urchin, centrostephanus rodgersii, to expand its range. these sea urchins have moved into regions already inhabited by the black-lipped abalone, a type of snail. in these regions, sea urchins and black-lipped abalone share similar habitats and food sources. what are the most likely effects of the range expansion of the sea urchin? the movement of the sea urchins into habitats already occupied by black-lipped abalone will most likely cause in the level of interspecific competition for resources. as a result of the range expansion of the sea urchins, the population size of black-lipped abalone , or both the sea urchin and black-lipped abalone could .

The answers would be:

increase in interspecific competition for resources.

decrease the population size of black-lipped abalone

or both the sea urchin and black-lipped abalone could evolve

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In this situation, the sea urchin and the abalone feed on the same resources and live in the same habitat. This would result in a competitive relationship between the two species. If the sea urchins will continue to expand, then the black lipped abalone would more likely lose the competition for resources and their population would slowly decrease.

As a result of this continued competition, both species could evolve to adapt to the limited available resources by changing their diet or resources. If they do not evolve however, the abalone's population would continue to decrease.

1. is geographic distribution

2 is increasing complexity

3 is transitional forms