In Garza and Robles's sea star experiment, which statement about nighttime depth after heavy rains is accurate?

• A. Sea stars climbed to the surface at night.
• B. Sea stars stayed at lower levels at night after heavy rains.
• C. Sea stars moved unpredictably between levels.
• D. Sea stars disappeared from the tank.

Answer: (B)

This item looks at how environmental changes, like heavy rainfall, affect where sea stars position themselves in the water column after dark. When rain pours into coastal tanks or tanks in a study, surface water can become less salty, muddier, and more variable in temperature and oxygen. Sea stars can move to different depths to find more stable, favorable conditions. Seeing them stay at deeper levels at night after heavy rains suggests they’re responding to those altered surface conditions by occupying lower depths rather than moving toward the surface. The other descriptions—moving to the surface at night, moving in an unpredictable pattern, or disappearing—don’t align with the observed pattern of remaining deeper after rainfall.