26. If predatory fish are overfished what happens to smaller fish populations? a. All the populations would decrease b. All the populations would increase c. All the populations would stay the same d. The population could surge since they no longer face predation pressure.

## Step 1<br />This problem is about understanding the ecological relationships between different species in an ecosystem. Specifically, it focuses on the relationship between predatory fish and smaller fish populations.<br /><br />## Step 2<br />Predatory fish are at the top of the food chain and play a crucial role in controlling the population of smaller fish. They do this by preying on the smaller fish, which helps to maintain a balance in the ecosystem.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />If predatory fish are overfished, their numbers decrease significantly. This means there are fewer predatory fish to control the population of smaller fish.<br /><br />## Step 4<br />With fewer predatory fish, the smaller fish populations could potentially increase due to a lack of predation pressure. This is because there are fewer predatory fish to eat them.