❓ Question According to the passage, what was the primary effect of removing *Pisaster ochraceus* from intertidal zones?
- A. A. The mussel population declined due to lack of predation.
- B. B. Species diversity increased because other predators flourished.
- C. C. The mussel *Mytilus californianus* outcompeted other organisms, reducing diversity.
- D. D. The starfish population in other areas grew exponentially.