First Essay:

Rodrigo Mauricio Solórzano Tomasino 20190041

The reading and lecture are about the main reasons why otter population has been
declined rapidly in the last years. This is an important topic to talk about, because otters
perform an important duty in the coastal ecosystem. According to the author, the principal
reason that cause this phenomenon is the pollution. On the other hand, the lecture argues
that this situation is cause by predators.

First of all, the article indicates that pollution is the principal cause of this otter population
reduce. This is credible because there is so much evidence about it, like oil rings in the
coast and the increment of chemicals in this zone water. By the other hand, the lecture,
argues that the real reason are predators. This is a credible reason, because of the lack of
otter’s bodies.

Secondly, according to the reading, pollution is the main reason, because there is a decline
of other sea mammals such as seals. Is a fact, that pollution affects the whole ecosystem
and not only to a specific species. In contrast, lecture show us that orcas are the predators
that cause this problem, because their preys have disappeared, they were obligate to
change they diet to otter and other mammals.

Finally, reading claims that pollution explains why only some areas are affected and others
are normal. This can be cause by ocean currents or environmental factors. On the other
side, the lecture tells us that this irregularity is an It's an accessibility issue. The population
is decreasing more in coasts because they are more accessible to orcas and it's a good
area to hunt.

As a summary, it's a fact that otter’s population is decreasing. Some people can say that
it's cause by pollution like the author and others may attribute this situation to predators
like orcas. However, it's important to do something because they are too important for the
environment and coast ecosystems.