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[ Coastal Monitoring Project Scope & Sequence | Phases: One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six ]

Phase 5 : Data Analysis

Summarizing Results

Benthic Organisms

This is the simplest of all the surveys to analyze. To get a total number of organisms observed at each site, sum up all the different species of organisms observed along each transect, then add the totals for each transect line.

Example :

Middle Transect             1 2 3 4 5 Total Sea Urchins Echinometra mathei ‘Ina Rock boring urchin 0 2 8 5 1 16 Echinometra oblonga ‘Ina Black boring urchin 1 5 4 9 3 22 Echinothrix calamaris Wana Banded sea urchin 0 0 0 1 0 1 Echinothrix diadema Wana Black sea urchin 0 0 1 0 1 2 Heterocentrotus mammillatus Peni Slate pencil urchin 0 1 0 0 0 1 Tripneustes gratilla Hāwa‘e Collector urchin 0 2 2 1 0 5

Site 1         Inner Transect Middle Transect Outer Transect Total Sea Urchins Echinometra mathei ‘Ina Rock boring urchin 5 16 20 41 Echinometra oblonga ‘Ina Black boring urchin 8 22 29 59 Echinothrix calamaris Wana Banded sea urchin 0 1 3 4 Echinothrix diadema Wana Black sea urchin 0 2 5 7 Heterocentrotus mammillatus Peni Slate pencil urchin 0 1 4 5 Tripneustes gratilla Hāwa‘e Collector urchin 0 5 9 14

Substrate

The first step is to calculate percent cover of rock, sand and coral. Start with % sand by adding up all the percentages of sand for each quadrat. Divide that sum by the total number of quadrats to get an average percent cover of sand for the entire site. Do the same for % rock and % coral. You should be able to see the dominant type of substrate.

Now that you have a clear picture of substrate for the site, you need to look back at the percent cover of coral. You have calculated the amount of coral present at the site, but have not yet calculated the percentage of each type of coral. Do the same as you did for percent rock, sand and coral. Add up the percentages for each type of coral (one type at a time) and divide that sum by the total number of quadrats to get an average percent cover of each type of coral for the entire site. You should be able to see the most abundant type of coral.

Example :

Outer Transect               Quad # % Sand % Rock % Coral Cauliflower Lobe Antler Finger Plate 1 80 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 70 25 5 10 60 10 10 10 3 50 40 10 30 60 0 0 10 4 60 10 30 15 50 10 10 15 5 50 25 25 10 50 10 20 10                   Total 310 120 70 65 220 30 40 45 Average 62 % 24 % 14 % 13 % 46 % 8 % 8 % 5 %

Site 1                 % Sand % Rock % Coral Cauliflower Lobe Antler Finger Plate Inner Transect 85 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 Middle Transect 75 17 8 60 25 15 0 0 Outer Transect 62 24 14 13 46 16 20 5 Total 222 56 22 73 71 31 20 5 Average 74 % 19 % 7 % 24 % 24 % 10 % 7 % 2 %

Water Quality

In determining water quality, it is a good idea to analyze multiple samples from different areas within the site. This will take into account varying conditions within the site. Most water quality tests will give you a number result. For those tests, you can simply take the average number of all the test samples. Other tests like coliform bacteria may give you a positive or negative result. You can either choose to take the most dominant result as your overall result or you can use the locations of each test sample in your data analysis to show how different areas within the site may be influenced by other factors.

Example :

Fish Abundance & Diversity

As you did in the benthic organism survey, simply add up the total number of tallies (in the count column) for each species of fish and record that total in the sum column. Once you have summed up the totals for all of the species of fish, rank them in order of abundance. The species of fish with the most tallies would be ranked number one. The species of fish with the second highest number of tallies would be ranked number two and so forth. The tallies and ranking show fish abundance. The number of different species observed will show fish diversity.

Example :

Middle Transect             Rank Count 1 Sum 1 Count 1 Sum 1 Total Butterflyfish Chaetodon auriga Threadfin 2 llll 4 ll 2 6 Chaetodon quadrimaculatus Lauhau Four Spot 5 0 ll 2 2 Chaetodon lunula Kīkākapu Racoon 1 lllll 5 lll 3 8 Chaetodon miliaris Lauwiliwili Milletseed 3 lll 3 lll 2 5 Chaetodon ornatissimus Kīkākapu Ornate 4 ll 2 l 1 3 Chaetodon multicinctus Multiband 4 0 lll 3 3

Site 1         Inner Transect Middle Transect Outer Transect Total Butterflyfish Chaetodon auriga Threadfin 3 6 4 13 Chaetodon quadrimaculatus Lauhau Four Spot 3 2 7 12 Chaetodon lunula Kīkākapu Racoon 7 8 5 20 Chaetodon miliaris Lauwiliwili Milletseed 2 5 8 15 Chaetodon ornatissimus Kīkākapu Ornate 5 3 7 15 Chaetodon multicinctus Multiband 1 3 6 10

Drawing Conclusions

This is a difficult process to internalize for most students because it requires them to use their critical thinking skills in a way that they probably have little or no experience in doing. Students drawing conclusions from data is like a detective solving a mystery case from evidence. The overall questions in data analysis are: What happened? and How come?

The students will need a lot of guidance and direction in drawing these conclusions. Try going through one example with the students then break them up into smaller groups to see what they come up with. Once they get the hang of it, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how well they can start to see and understand the big interconnecting picture of ocean ecosystems. Reserve quite a bit of time for this phase of the project.

Benthic Organisms

Guiding Questions : What organisms are most abundant at the site and why?

To answer these questions you cannot just look at the organisms themselves since organisms are influenced by so many different factors. Habitat is arguably the most important factor here so if you did not include water quality in your survey that's okay. Ask yourself how the abundance and diversity of organisms would be affected by factors such as :

• Type and percent cover of substrate
• Water temperature
• Salinity
• Tidal ebb and flow
• Open ocean or enclosed site
• Wave action
• Water quality
• Supply of food
• Predators

Example :

Substrate

Guiding Questions : What type of substrate is the most abundant at the site and why?

What type of coral the most abundant and why?

Unlike benthic organisms, substrate is not affected by too many factors. Ask yourself substrate would be affected by factors such as :

• Water depth and salinity (coral)
• Wave action
• Open ocean or enclosed site
• Water quality

Example :

Water Quality

Guiding Questions: What is the overall water quality?

The results of the different tests will be linked to environmental factors. Some of the parameters such as nitrates, phosphates and coliform bacteria are inter-related. Ask yourself how overall water quality would be affected by factors such as :

• Type and percent cover of substrate
• Tidal ebb and flow
• Open ocean or enclosed site
• Wave action
• Run-off

Example :

Fish Abundance & Diversity

Guiding Questions : How abundant and diverse is the fish population and why?

Much like benthic organisms, fish populations are affected by a number of factors. Most of our coastal fish are reef fish, so naturally the status of reefs would be a large influence. Fishing also comes into play here more than since many of our reef fish are caught for either human consumption or human entertainment. Ask yourself how the abundance and diversity of fish would be affected by factors such as:

• Type and percent cover of substrate
• Tidal ebb and flow
• Open ocean or enclosed site
• Wave action
• Water quality
• Supply of food
• Predators

Example :