Final answer:
Killer whales may be at the top of food chains, but they are not immune to the consequences of a decline in seal populations. They heavily rely on seals as a primary food source, so if seals die off, it disrupts the balance of the food web and can lead to a scarcity of food for killer whales.
Step-by-step explanation:
Although killer whales (orcas) are at the top of many food chains, they are not necessarily immune to the consequences of a decline in seal populations. While killer whales have a diverse diet and can consume other prey, they heavily rely on seals as a primary food source. If seals were to die off, it would disrupt the balance of the food web and could lead to a scarcity of food for killer whales.
Additionally, the decline in seal populations could have indirect effects on the availability of other prey species that the killer whales rely on in different parts of the year. For example, if the seals' main food source, such as fish, declines due to pollution or overfishing, it would impact the carrying capacity of seals and ultimately result in a decrease in their population.
Overall, while killer whales are powerful predators, they still depend on a stable and diverse food web to thrive.