1. **State the problem:** A sea otter's position changes by $-73.5$ feet in 3 minutes. We need to find the average change in position per minute. 2. **Formula:** Average change per minute = $\frac{\text{total change in position}}{\text{total time}}$ 3. **Apply the formula:** $$\text{Average change} = \frac{-73.5}{3}$$ 4. **Simplify the fraction:** $$\frac{-73.5}{3} = \cancel{\frac{-73.5}{3}} = -24.5$$ 5. **Interpretation:** The otter's position changes by $-24.5$ feet each minute on average, meaning it moves 24.5 feet deeper underwater every minute. **Final answer:** The average change in the otter's position each minute is $-24.5$ feet.