Final answer:
If the amount of food in an ecosystem decreases, the carrying capacity (K) for a species such as seals would likely decrease because the environment can support fewer individuals with fewer resources.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the amount of food for a species within an ecosystem were decreased, the carrying capacity, often denoted as K, for that species would likely decrease. This is because carrying capacity refers to the maximum population size of the species that the environment can sustain indefinitely, given the food, habitat, water, and other necessities available in the environment. When there is a reduction in the available food supply, the environment can support fewer individuals—leading to a reduced carrying capacity. Therefore, of the provided options, the correct prediction would be that the carrying capacity should decrease, which aligns with option 3.
In the context of seals, if their major food source declines due to factors like pollution or overfishing, the carrying capacity for seals in that environment would decrease, and as a result, the seal population might also decrease over time as the available resources become insufficient to support the current population.