Sentence Correction

A study of food resources in the North Pacific between 1989 and 1996 revealed that creatures of the seabed were suffering from dwindling food supplies, possibly a result from increasing sea surface temperatures during the same period.

a.
b. that creatures of the seabed were suffering because food supplies were dwindling, possibly as a result of an increase in.

c, d, and e were ridiculous.

as far as I can see, with A, the result from is an incorrect idiom. is there anything else wrong with A other than the "result from" idiom?

GMAT claims it is ambiguous what "possibly a result.." modifies. creatures of a seabed, or dwindling food supplies, but how does B correct it? and why is A ambiguous? seems to me as it is modifying food supplies pretty clearly.

I think the main issue with (A) is meaning. possibly a result attached to food supplies makes it sound as if the food supplies themselves were the result and that is not the intended meaning.

I personally don't think "result from" is wrong...depends on the context in which it is used.


Hope this helps!

Official explanation states that the appositive "possibly a result" is ambiguous as to what is being modified - creatures of a seabed or dwindling food supplies.


A study of food resources in the North Pacific between 1989 and 1996 revealed that creatures of the seabed were suffering from dwindling food supplies, possibly a result from increasing sea surface temperatures during the same period.

I am not clear why isn't the appositive unambiguously referring to the red part (as it has the S&V) whereas blue part just a prep. phrase.

Can any expert please explain.

Thanks