Materials and Methods
Materials and Methods
This longitudinal study began in June 2016 and studies the changes in population of the Uca minax fiddler crabs on Spermaceti Cove at Sandy Hook, New Jersey.
Materials for this experiment include Microsoft Excel to organize data and conduct statistical analysis and a blog on Blogger.com. Tide charts were procured from nj.usharbors.com. All data is in a binder for organizational purposes. Electronic versions of the data are in Excel spreadsheets.
The data was collected at low tide during full and new moons from June 2016 to October 2017. The crabs are most active during low tide. New and full moons and low tides ensured fiddler crabs were out of their burrows for counting. Fiddler crabs were counted once every two weeks. Counting took place at Spermaceti Cove on Sandy Hook, New Jersey during the Uca minax fiddler crab breeding season, from June to October. After October, counting sessions ended.
Spermaceti Cove was divided into northern and southern parts, with the wooden walkway being the divider between each site. This allows facilitated counting, as one person counted the north side, while another person counted the south side.
Qualitative data recorded during each count included the following: wind speed and direction in miles per hour, air temperature in Celsius, the presence of litter, and weather conditions. Observation of fiddler crab predators' tracks, such as humans, marine birds, and raccoons, were recorded, as predators could have eaten the fiddler crabs, decreasing the count.
All observations and counting sessions were recorded in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Line and bar graphs were produced using the data. Several statistical analyses of the data were completed. A correlation between the temperature of the counting day and the amount of fiddler crabs counted on both sides of Spermaceti Cove for the 2017-2018 data collection year was conducted. Mean, standard deviation, and variation were calculated for the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 data sets. A t-test of the counts in June, July, and August of both data sets were conducted.
Materials for this experiment include Microsoft Excel to organize data and conduct statistical analysis and a blog on Blogger.com. Tide charts were procured from nj.usharbors.com. All data is in a binder for organizational purposes. Electronic versions of the data are in Excel spreadsheets.
The data was collected at low tide during full and new moons from June 2016 to October 2017. The crabs are most active during low tide. New and full moons and low tides ensured fiddler crabs were out of their burrows for counting. Fiddler crabs were counted once every two weeks. Counting took place at Spermaceti Cove on Sandy Hook, New Jersey during the Uca minax fiddler crab breeding season, from June to October. After October, counting sessions ended.
Spermaceti Cove was divided into northern and southern parts, with the wooden walkway being the divider between each site. This allows facilitated counting, as one person counted the north side, while another person counted the south side.
Qualitative data recorded during each count included the following: wind speed and direction in miles per hour, air temperature in Celsius, the presence of litter, and weather conditions. Observation of fiddler crab predators' tracks, such as humans, marine birds, and raccoons, were recorded, as predators could have eaten the fiddler crabs, decreasing the count.
All observations and counting sessions were recorded in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Line and bar graphs were produced using the data. Several statistical analyses of the data were completed. A correlation between the temperature of the counting day and the amount of fiddler crabs counted on both sides of Spermaceti Cove for the 2017-2018 data collection year was conducted. Mean, standard deviation, and variation were calculated for the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 data sets. A t-test of the counts in June, July, and August of both data sets were conducted.
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