ScLi15- Determine whether results of a research study answer…
ScLi15- Determine whether results of a research study answer the research question The following excerpt belongs to the study Anthropogenic Marsh Impoundments Alter Collective Tendency in Schooling Fish coauthored by Dr. Kevin Boswell (professor in our bio department). “The objective of this study was to determine whether the collective tendency of schooling fish is modulated by anthropogenically introduced habitat complexity, prior to and in response to predator attack. To achieve this objective, we compared collective state of fish schools before and during predator attack, between an open salt marsh canal and a Water Control Structure (man-made). In those environments, we observed schools of free-ranging juvenile gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) The collective behavioural state of each fish school was quantified using six behavioural parameters : school area, group speed, angular velocity, orientational alignment (polarization), coherence of rotation (rotational order) (Attanasi et al. 2014), and correlation strength (degree of influence on neighbours) (Cavagna et al. 2008; Handegard et al. 2012). we predict that fish schools in the vicinity of a WCS will adjust their schooling tendencies and form less aligned shoals, exhibiting increases in area and decreases in polarization compared to the natural marsh environment. ” This is figure 2 Mean comparisons of six behavioural metrics that describe schooling tendency between habitat context and predator attack. Raw metric data is shown behind the mean. Habitat context comparisons, separated on the bottom axis, are separated between pre- and mid-predator attack (separated by colour), presenting comparisons between and within habitat context. Significant differences at 95% confidence level are denoted with an asterisk. Comparisons that do not meet the traditional level of significance but are nearly significant are shown without the asterisk What can researchers conclude?