What role does the walrus act as for its primary food sources?

Density regulator

The intense, large-scale foraging activities of walruses significantly influence the structure of the benthic environment, acting as a major ecological modifier. Specifically, by consuming vast numbers of clams and other bottom-dwelling life, they function as a density regulator for these food sources. When a population of large clams becomes excessively dense, the walruses can rapidly decrease its biomass. This reduction opens up space and resources, allowing smaller, faster-reproducing species to colonize the area. In this manner, the walrus prevents any single species, like a specific clam species, from achieving complete dominance or monoculture status, thereby maintaining the overall long-term productivity of the feeding ground through constant ecological mixing and turnover.