The salinity data we collected in both locations was inconsistent with our hypothesis, as they were inverses! (see data table in previous post). Our research had suggested that with higher tide should have come a higher salinity. We were unable to find a cause for this and suspect it may been a measurement error.
The temperatures in both locations did not vary greatly with the different tides. The measurement at the Spiritual Centre's high tide was slightly lower, but the overall increase in temperature from high tide to low tide was the same at both locations (0.4 degrees) A possible cause for the slightly warmer temperature at the Spiritual Centre location could have been the energy from the marina water treatment which may have been a source of heat.
There was no great variation in the number and size of barnacles with the different heights. Using what we have learned so far in marine science, we predicted that with decrease in height (getting closer to the shoreline) the number and size of barnacles would increase. This prediction was based on the fact that barnacles increase in size and frequency in the intertidal zone as we get closer to the shore because the phytoplankton feed is greater closer to the water which barnacles need to filter feed, along with oxygen and moisture. The different rock surfaces at the two locations did indeed affect the number and size of barnacles. In the area behind the swimming pool, the rocks were darker (black rather than grey), the edges were sharper, and the whole surface was on a sharper vertical than the area by the Spiritual Centre. Barnacles in the area behind the swimming pool were not only much more frequent and much larger, but were more consistently spread, whereas the barnacles by the Spiritual Centre were concentrated in denser colonies and were inconsistently spread. We suspect this size and number variation had to do with adherence and not with a difference in the species of acorn barnacle, though variations of within the acorn barnacle species do exist.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Evaluation and conclusion of salinity
According to Wikipedia, the salinity around Vancouver Island should be between 3.1% to 3.2% in average. However, since we are in the Pedder Bay, where rivers and streams may flow into the ocean and there is also intermingling between the seawater and fresh underground water, the salinity of seawater in the bay should be a little bit lower than that.
We collected the data as 3.00%, 2.51%, 2.43%, 3.03%, which meet our expectations.
However, our expectation for the change of the salinity is that the high tide salinities should be lower than the low tide ones. This is because when there the tide is high, more fresh water should flow into the ocean, so the salinity should be reduced.
The data in the maintenance centre meet our expectation: the low tide salinity was 3.03% and the high tide one was 2.43%; however, in the spiritual centre spot, we got the opposite result.
I think this might be the mistake in labelling them when we measured them.
Or, if we actually had the correct data...
The reason might be because of the streams flowing into different locations varies in different time of the day coincidently, or the organisms might also influence the salinity into the direction unexpected.
The graph of Yuri and Ghazi's data.
They measured the number of barnacles at different heights according to different locations of transects.
The data were list before. The graph is drawn according to the data, the y-axis is the number of the barnacles and x-axis is the number of transects below the starting point( the marked rock)
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Data of number of barnacles!!
Here is the Data Zahida and Zijian collected from the spot near the Spiritual Centre .
At 12:00 in the morning (lowest tide).
Temp= 11.4 vs 11.0 (@ 2am) Celsius Degrees
Height (meters below standard) | data 1 | data 2 | average data |
0.3 | 258 | 250 | 254 |
0.5 | 160 | 160 | 160 |
0.7 | 21 | 15 | 18 |
0.95 | 115 | 116 | 115.5 |
1.3 | 89 | 93 | 91 |
The graph is then drawn below, the y-axis represents the
number of barnacles at different heights (the x-axis)
We have to conclude, this data is a mess~~
We have to conclude, this data is a mess~~
Whether we have any explanations about that...we are going to talk about it...
Evaluation
Uncertainties/ evaluation:
Throughout our experiment we encountered many challenges that highly affected the accuracy of our data. Some of these are:
1) We were not able to collect our samples from the two places at the same time
2) We possibly counted some things that were not barnicles
3) In order to count the barnicles, we split up into two groups. Each group used a different method for counting the barnicles
4) Measuring devices might not have been accurate, because the rock faces were not smooth
5) Moving boats made the water very muddy. Thus, it might have affected our salinity measuremnt
6) The rough surface made hard sometimes hard to measure
Improvements:
To improve our data what we could have done was:
1) We could have timed the data collection better.
2) We could have agreed on what kind of barnicles to count and what kinds not to count (dead, alive...etc)
3) Before splitting into 2 groups, we could have agreed on a common method to use
4) We could have picked better spots, where the rock surface is smoother
Throughout our experiment we encountered many challenges that highly affected the accuracy of our data. Some of these are:
1) We were not able to collect our samples from the two places at the same time
2) We possibly counted some things that were not barnicles
3) In order to count the barnicles, we split up into two groups. Each group used a different method for counting the barnicles
4) Measuring devices might not have been accurate, because the rock faces were not smooth
5) Moving boats made the water very muddy. Thus, it might have affected our salinity measuremnt
6) The rough surface made hard sometimes hard to measure
Improvements:
To improve our data what we could have done was:
1) We could have timed the data collection better.
2) We could have agreed on what kind of barnicles to count and what kinds not to count (dead, alive...etc)
3) Before splitting into 2 groups, we could have agreed on a common method to use
4) We could have picked better spots, where the rock surface is smoother
Salinity...
We measured our salinity after collecting the other data.
Salinity of the sample from Spiritual Centre Spot.
High Tide Salinity : 3.00%
Low Tide Salinity: 2.51%
Salinity of the sample from Maintenance Spot.
High Tide Salinity: 2.43%
Low Tide Salinity: 3.03%
This is interesting...since the change of salinity is inverse!! We will try to find out what happened...
Salinity of the sample from Spiritual Centre Spot.
High Tide Salinity : 3.00%
Low Tide Salinity: 2.51%
Salinity of the sample from Maintenance Spot.
High Tide Salinity: 2.43%
Low Tide Salinity: 3.03%
This is interesting...since the change of salinity is inverse!! We will try to find out what happened...
Data collection @ maintenance
At 11:44 (lowest tide=0.6m), we counted the number of barnicles on a rock face that was not completely verticle. Therefore, we counted in a line from the surface of the water at low tide to the surface of the water at high tide. We used 10 10x10 transicts. The total area measured was 2900 centimetres squared.
The data was as follows:
Transect1- 70-75
Transect2- 156-160
Transect3- 180-185
Transect4- 67-72
Transect5- 70
Transect6- 249
Transect7- 150
Transect8- 289
Transect9- 70
Transect10-30
Total number of transicts= 1340 (+/- 13)
Temperature of water= 11.8 vs 11.2-11.4 (at 2 am) Celsius degrees
The data was as follows:
Transect1- 70-75
Transect2- 156-160
Transect3- 180-185
Transect4- 67-72
Transect5- 70
Transect6- 249
Transect7- 150
Transect8- 289
Transect9- 70
Transect10-30
Total number of transicts= 1340 (+/- 13)
Temperature of water= 11.8 vs 11.2-11.4 (at 2 am) Celsius degrees
Second data from Spiritual Centre Spot
This morning at 11 30 am, we divided ourselves into 2 groups. Zahida and me collected data from the spiritual centre spot, while Yuri and Ghazi did that on the other spot.
I used classical triangle method to measeure that the tide change (relative to the standard we set yesterday) was -1.8 metres. Therefore the calculated tide height is 2.3 - 1.8 = 0.5 m, this matches our predicted tide height, which should be 0.4 to 0.5 metre.
The temperature is 11.3 /11.4 ºC.
Then we measured the numbers of barnacles in each square (10 inches · 10 inches) of area.
The data of barnacles will be posted later in form of excel.
Zijian and Zahida.
First Stage of Research
Our collected data:
Spot 1: (Near Spiritual Center)
11:30pm April 16th 2010: Put a rock at the level of the water/tide (from tide chart expected to be 2.3m) in order to measure by how much the tide rose when it became its predicted highest, thus confirming or disproving the tide charts.
2:00am April 17th: Tide change: 33cm higher than what it was at 11:30 (2.3m) and the expected tide is 2.6m, which is the high tide. Therefor the the data on the chart seems very accurate.
Temperature: 10.9~11 Celsius degrees.
Spot 2: (Near Maintenance Docks)
11:59pm April 16th 2010: Put a rock at the level of the water/tide (from tide chart expected to be 2.4m) in order to measure by how much the tide rose when it became its predicted highest, thus confirming or disproving the tide charts.
2.30am 17th April 2010:Tide change: 34cm higher than what it was at 11:59 (2,4m), and the expected tide was 2.6m, which is the high tide. Therefore the the data on the chart seems slightly inaccurate.
Temperature: 11.2~11.4 Celsius degrees!!
For today we wait!!!!Low tide!
Ghazi, Zijian, Zahida, Yuri!!!
Spot 1: (Near Spiritual Center)
11:30pm April 16th 2010: Put a rock at the level of the water/tide (from tide chart expected to be 2.3m) in order to measure by how much the tide rose when it became its predicted highest, thus confirming or disproving the tide charts.
2:00am April 17th: Tide change: 33cm higher than what it was at 11:30 (2.3m) and the expected tide is 2.6m, which is the high tide. Therefor the the data on the chart seems very accurate.
Temperature: 10.9~11 Celsius degrees.
Spot 2: (Near Maintenance Docks)
11:59pm April 16th 2010: Put a rock at the level of the water/tide (from tide chart expected to be 2.4m) in order to measure by how much the tide rose when it became its predicted highest, thus confirming or disproving the tide charts.
2.30am 17th April 2010:Tide change: 34cm higher than what it was at 11:59 (2,4m), and the expected tide was 2.6m, which is the high tide. Therefore the the data on the chart seems slightly inaccurate.
Temperature: 11.2~11.4 Celsius degrees!!
Evaluation
Temperature is rather constant only fluctuating by about 0.3 of degree with the farther into the Pedder Bay spot being warmer, possibly due to the shallowness which allows the sun to warm up more water and the rock beneath.
As for tide change, the chart is mostely accurate and the margin of error could be due to us. The nature of our location, tools and the fact it was dark all help distort the data.
As for tide change, the chart is mostely accurate and the margin of error could be due to us. The nature of our location, tools and the fact it was dark all help distort the data.
For today we wait!!!!Low tide!
Ghazi, Zijian, Zahida, Yuri!!!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tides
Yuri, I think there are problems with the tide time you found.
Lowest tide appears at 11 am tmr instead of 11pm i think.
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Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Experiment Aim and Procedure
Aim: To find a correlation between the number and size of barnacles in two distinct areas and, the salinity of ocean around the barnacles at the different tides in order to discover barnacle thriving conditions.
Procedure:
Find two similar areas along coast in terms of rock surfaces. One near the Spiritual center and one near the maintenance docks.
On a sunny day, preferably after a spell of no rain. Our group of four will split into two groups so that we can take measurements at the locations simultaneously.
Upon arrival at area, the procedure consists of the same steps:
Procedure:
Find two similar areas along coast in terms of rock surfaces. One near the Spiritual center and one near the maintenance docks.
On a sunny day, preferably after a spell of no rain. Our group of four will split into two groups so that we can take measurements at the locations simultaneously.Upon arrival at area, the procedure consists of the same steps:
- Arrive ten minutes before predicted low tide and use Low Tide Finder to find lowest water level possible
- Use tide tables to find the distance above low tide to high tide
- Use measuring tape and rope to mark off area, from the surface of the water at low tide to the surface of the water at high tide
- Measure all barnacles in respective area using transect grids with a width of approximately 20cm
- At lowest tide take a sample of water to measure salinity content later
- At highest tide take a sample to measure salinity content later
- At lowest tide take a measure of temperature
- At highest tide take a measure of temperature
- In the lab combine/compile data and use salinity meter to find salinity content of water samples (four in total)
Apparatuses
These are the Apparatuses we invented and are using.
Low Tide Finder: Thrown into water before low tide, anchor keeps it from moving, sliding component moved down with the surface of the water or tide until it goes down no farther.
Anchor: Used to stop any current from moving the low tide finder.
Sliding Component: Slides up and down rope to find the lowest possible tide.
Ropes: Used to mark areas under observation.
Water Containers: Used to take water sample from one of the two areas.
Water Containers: Used to take water sample from one of the two areas.
Measuring Tapes: Used to measure dimensions of area under observation and the distance between low and high tide.
Temperature Probe: Used to measure temperature.
Low Tide Finder: Thrown into water before low tide, anchor keeps it from moving, sliding component moved down with the surface of the water or tide until it goes down no farther.
Anchor: Used to stop any current from moving the low tide finder.
Sliding Component: Slides up and down rope to find the lowest possible tide.
Ropes: Used to mark areas under observation.
Water Containers: Used to take water sample from one of the two areas.
Water Containers: Used to take water sample from one of the two areas.
Measuring Tapes: Used to measure dimensions of area under observation and the distance between low and high tide.
Temperature Probe: Used to measure temperature.
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