Final answer:
The gene pool reduction will lead to less inbreeding and increased vulnerability to environmental changes in the northern elephant seal population.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most likely result of the northern elephant seal population's gene pool reduction is D. The elephant seals will be more vulnerable to environmental change. Here's why:
Reduced genetic diversity: With only 100 individuals remaining, the genetic pool of the elephant seals becomes significantly smaller. This means there are fewer unique genes and alleles circulating in the population, making them less adaptable to changes in their environment.
Increased risk of genetic bottlenecks: A bottleneck is a severe reduction in population size that can drastically reduce genetic diversity. With such a small population, the northern elephant seals are more susceptible to further bottlenecks caused by events like disease outbreaks or natural disasters, further reducing their genetic variation.
Homogenization of the population: With fewer alleles available, the population becomes more uniform in its genetic makeup. This can limit the potential for adaptation to changing conditions, as there are fewer alternative traits or genes that could potentially be beneficial in a new environment.