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CELPIP Practice Reading: Reading for Information ID: #63105 Medium Sea otters and kelp forest ecology

Read the following passage.

A. Sea otters live along Pacific coasts, including parts of British Columbia, where they spend almost their entire lives in the water. Dense fur - among the thickest of any mammal - keeps them warm without the blubber layer seals use. They float on their backs to crack shellfish with rocks, one of the few clear examples of tool use in marine mammals. Pups ride on mothers' chests while adults dive for food in nearshore forests of kelp. A careful description of sea otters and kelp forest ecology starts with what it is before listing exceptions.

B. Kelp forests are underwater stands of large brown algae that shelter fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals. Sea otters eat sea urchins that would otherwise graze kelp holdfasts down to bare rock. When otters are present, urchin numbers drop and kelp can flourish, storing carbon and buffering waves. Ecologists call this a keystone effect because one predator shapes the whole community. When equipment or schedules fail, staff adjust routines so the public still gets clear guidance.

C. Fur hunting in past centuries wiped otters from large stretches of coast, and kelp beds collapsed in many places as urchins exploded. Reintroduction and legal protection have brought otters back to some British Columbia waters, delighting tourists and worrying some shellfish fishers who compete for urchins and crabs. Managers try to balance recovery goals with local livelihoods through consultation. Research boats count otters and map kelp from the air to measure change.

D. Oil spills are especially dangerous because fouled fur loses insulating air and otters can die of cold. Climate-driven marine heatwaves also stress kelp independently of otter numbers. Public aquaria teach the otter-urchin-kelp story as a classic food-web lesson. Coastal nations share data because otter recovery and kelp health cross administrative borders along the Pacific.

E. Not given in any of the above paragraphs.

Decide which paragraph, A to D, has the information given in each statement below. Select E if the information is not given in any of the paragraphs.

 - 1. Sea otters use rocks as tools to crack shellfish.

 - 2. Otters eat sea urchins that would otherwise destroy kelp.

 - 3. Fur hunting once wiped otters from large stretches of coast.

 - 4. Sea otters rely on thick blubber instead of fur for warmth.

 - 5. Ecologists describe the otter's role as a keystone effect.

 - 6. Oil spills are dangerous because fouled fur loses insulation.

 - 7. Kelp forests shelter fish and many other species.

 - 8. Otters never float on their backs while eating.

 - 9. Aerial mapping helps researchers track kelp extent.

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