Question

Populations Lab Report

Instructions: The Virtual Populations Lab is on the lesson assessment page. Gather data to evaluate Sebastian’s Snorkel Spot’s claim that a new factory is polluting the coral reef. Follow the instructions as you move through the lab and record your data and observations in the lab report.

Title:Sebastian’s coral reef lab report

Objective(s): The goal of this lab was to determine the impact of pollution on various ocean variables.

Hypothesis: If the pollution levels increase, the health of the coral reef will decrease.




Variables: The pollution was the independent variable, while the dependent variables were water clarity, oxygen level, percentage of living coral, juvenile parrotfish population, and adult parrotfish population



Procedure
During the research phase, you found that the factory is not using nutrient-removal treatment on the water it releases. Excess nutrients in the water encourage algae growth, which can smother coral. To monitor the water quality and health of the coral reef, you will collect data on five factors: water clarity, dissolved oxygen levels, percentage of live coral coverage, number of juvenile parrot fish observed, and number of mature parrotfish observed.


Data:
Record your data from the virtual lab in the data table.

Week
Water Clarity (m)
Dissolved Oxygen Level (mg/L)
Percentage of Live Coral Coverage (%)
Number of Juvenile Parrotfish
Number of Mature Parrotfish
0
6
14
35
8
12
1
4
12
30
7
122
2
3
10
25
7
11
3
3
9
25
5
11
4
2
9
20
4
9





Data Analysis:

Select one abiotic factor that was monitored, either water clarity or dissolved oxygen level, and create a line graph showing the measurement of the abiotic factor over time. Then select one biotic factor that was monitored, either coral coverage, juvenile parrotfish, or mature parrotfish, and create a line graph showing the measurement of the biotic factor over time.
Insert Chart [Hint: don’t forget to create a line graph to analyze your data]

Conclusion:
Include the following as a summary paragraph in the conclusion of your lab report:

Analysis of the results of the experiment
Based on your data, describe the overall trend for each of the five factors that were measured?
What information do your graphs show? Describe the correlation between the two factors that you graphed
Rationale for the support or rejection of the hypothesis
Answer: I hypothesized that if pollution levels increase, then the health of the coral reef will decrease. My hypothesis was correct, In the four-week time that had been recorded showed that every week the biotic and abiotic features would decrease. My graph shows the decrease in four weeks due to the factory.

Questions:
Using what you have learned in the lesson and the virtual lab activity, answer the following questions in complete sentences.
Identify the abiotic and biotic factors in this lab.
The water clarity and the dissolved oxygen level were abiotic and coral coverage, and the fish were biotic.

Describe the symbiotic relationship between each of the organisms.
Coral is a habitat for fish and if the coral isn’t in good condition the water most likely isn’t so the fish would decrease.
Explain how the limiting factors affect carrying capacity in each population.
Without proper healthy coral the fish would decrease and without livable water the fish would die.

Answer 1

The abiotic factors in the lab were water clarity and dissolved oxygen level, while the biotic factors were coral coverage, juvenile parrotfish, and mature parrotfish. The symbiotic relationship between the coral and the fish is mutualism. The limiting factors, such as pollution and nutrient levels, affect carrying capacity in each population.

Step-by-step explanation:

The abiotic factors in this lab were water clarity and dissolved oxygen level, while the biotic factors were coral coverage, juvenile parrotfish, and mature parrotfish. The water clarity and dissolved oxygen level are abiotic factors because they are not living organisms, while coral coverage and the fish are biotic factors because they are living organisms.

The symbiotic relationship between the coral and the fish in the lab is mutualism. The fish rely on the coral as their habitat, and the coral benefits from the fish by gaining protection and removal of algae or other harmful organisms.

The limiting factors, such as pollution and nutrient levels, affect carrying capacity in each population. Without proper healthy coral, the fish population would decrease as their habitat and food source decline. Additionally, without suitable water conditions, the fish population would also be negatively affected.