BES 301 – Scientific Methods / Class notes Jan. 13th

About our paper
1. What is the main point? What is the author’s point…why was it conducted?
2. What’s the gap in knowledge that the paper is addressing?
3. What’s the relevance? Why is it relevant to what I am studying?
4. Document all steps is how you start to learn the language. Record all results.

At a scientific conference, each speaker has 15 minutes to present their hypotheses/results
A snail is a gastropod. It has phenotypic plasticity (the shape changes depending on conditions). Marginal growth is verified on the aperature (opening of the shell).

What parameters affect how Nucella lamellose grow?

Intertidal species are 3-5 cm long (more exposed to air)
Subtidal are 10 cm (has more access to food)
1. What is the gradient typical across species?
2. Is it correlated to fitness?
3. Is it correlated to eutrophication (junk in the water)?
The test:
1. Direct interference with psychological mechanisms
2. Indirect by limiting forging time
The design: For the fifth control, nothing was done and food was accessible
The experiment was done 9-10 times (replication)
1. 2 hours, emersed, no food
2. 5 “ “ “
3. 2 hours, submersed, no food
4. 5 “ “ “
Mescosims
1. Size = 10-20 mm
2. 1.15 litre seawater
3. 13°C (summer temperature in Friday Harbor)
4. Ambient air temperature
5. Were fed balamus “ad libitum” (at liberty….)
Results
1. Measured height, shell and tissue weight, length by degree (graph-ANOVA: analysis by variance)
2. It can only make the shell in the water as there is metabolic stress being out of the water.
3. Other factors might be: wave activity, migration, air temp., predators, genetics.

Analysis in this class centers around “Pair-wise” comparisons (2 treatments). We will learn to apply excel formulas

Post on Catalyst my experiment choice:
Treatment: Genetics
Growth: Total Mass
Hypothesis: Is Nucella lamellose in Friday Harbor different from the same species in Dutch Harbor

Hypotheses: pull data out of the control. What variables do I want to study?
When you read scientific papers, go in with questions and do not be overwhelmed.