From last few years since 1972, pollution levels in Lake X have dropped considerably, primarily because of a state program to clean the lake water by means of a water refinery. Ironically, during this same period, the once-abundant population of sunfish in the lake has dwindled.
Which of the following, if true, would best explain why the sunfish population of Lake X has dwindled at the same time that the lake water has become cleaner?
A)The life spans of sunfish are not diminished by high pollution levels, but the number of offspring they create during their lifetime is diminished.
B)Several artificial chemicals are introduced into the lake as a result of the refinement process, but these chemicals are known to have a benign effect on fish.
C)The water refinement process creates an environment extremely favorable to pike, a predator fish feeding on all types of fishes.
D)The heaviest concentrations of sunfish population in the lake are at its northern and northeastern shores, many miles away from the water refinery.
E)Ever since 1972, a strictly enforced state regulation has prevented anglers from over-fishing Lake Thomas