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Predator and prey interact antagonistically, and theory predicts that prey density tends to decay when predators are present. In this context, efforts made to conserve a prey species can have the opposite effect, as the increase in prey density increases leads to an increase in predator consumption as well. In this sense, field studies describing interactions and possible effects of conservation efforts are essential to understand California sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis) regardless of being super cute, are also voracious predators who really like to eat abalones (Haliotis cracherodii)

Describe the essential components needed to understand the how conservation efforts would affect population densities of sea otters and black abalones.

• One interesting (and perhaps counterintuitive) result found by the authors is that the increase in predator population density leads to a positive relation with prey density. Propose a mechanism to explain such a pattern and try to incorporate it into a model.
• Black abalones

• Raimondi et al (2015) Evaluating potential conservation conflicts between two listed species: sea otters and black abalone Ecology 96(11): 3102-3108 link