Saddleback Journal of Biology - Saddleback College

Fall 2009 Biology 3B Paper
(p= 0.0001) as we traveled south of Long Beach harbor
(Figure 2).
Length of Ventral Side (cm)
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0 2.4 14.3 6.3
Distance from Initial (mi)
Figure 2. Bar graph displaying mean combined length
of limpets at each location. The size of the limpets
increased as the distance from Long Beach increased.
Error bars represent ±SEM (ANOVA, Post-Hoc,
p= 0.0001, N= 13).
The pH and temperature of the water at all
locations didn’t significantly differ (Figures 3 and 4).
The mean combined water pH at the initial location
was 7.31 ± 0.04 (±SEM, N= 7); at 2.4 miles away from
initial it was 7.18 ± 0.03 (±SEM, N= 7); at 4.3 miles
away it was 7.04 ± 0.02 (±SEM, N= 7); from 6.3 miles
away it was 7.02 ± 0.02 (±SEM, N= 7); and from 25.6
miles it was 6.93 ± 0.03 (±SEM, N= 7). The pH
significantly decreased (p= 0.0001) as we traveled
south of Long Beach harbor (Figure 3).
8
7
6
5
p
4
H
3
2
1
0
0 3.9 4.3
1
6.3 25.6
Distance from Initial (mi)
Figure 3. Bar graph displaying mean combined pH of
water at each location. The pH generally decreased as
the distance from Long Beach increased. Error bars
represent ±SEM (ANOVA, Post-Hoc, p= 0.0001,
N= 7).
The mean combined water temperature at the initial
location was 17.73 ± 0.03 °C (±SEM, N= 7); at 2.4
miles away from initial it was 17.13 ± 0.03 °C (±SEM,
N= 7); at 4.3 miles away it was 15.56 ± 0.03 °C
(±SEM, N= 7); from 6.3 miles away it was 15.23 ±
0.03 °C (±SEM, N= 7); and from 25.6 miles it was
14.44 ± 0.03 °C (±SEM, N= 7). Ocean temperatures
significantly decreased (p= 0.0001) as we traveled
south of Long Beach harbor (Figure 4).
O
c
e
a
n
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
e
(
C
°
)
20
15
10
5
0
1
0 3.9 4.3 6.3 25.6
Distance from Initial (mi)
Figure 4. Bar graph displaying the mean combined
ocean temperature of each location. The temperatures
decreased as the distance from Long Beach increased.
Error bars represent ±SEM (ANOVA, Post-Hoc,
p= 0.0001, N= 7).
After running the ANOVA test, a Post-Hoc analysis
test was run and the results yielded a significant
difference between the mean combined lengths of both
organisms, temperature of the ocean, and pH of the
water at Long Beach harbor than that of the other four
locations. Our results indicated there was a positive
correlation between shipping activity and the growth of
tide pool organisms. Moreover, these results may tell
other researchers to further expand on this project by
studying other factors, besides pH and temperature,
which may have contributed to these fluctuations in the
organisms’ lengths, water pH, and ocean temperature.
Discussion
The data collected did not conform to all of
our initial expectations. We hypothesized a positive
correlation between distance from the initial location
(Long Beach harbor) and organism size for both T.
funebralis and L. strigatella. This was not found to be
the case; it is apparent that the changes in pH and
temperature down the coast affect each organism
differently. The changing pH and temperature were
responsible for differing conditions in the nature of
interspecial competition, which was the direct cause of
variances in measured organism size, with pH and
temperature affecting the organisms indirectly.
For L. strigatella, the correlation we
hypothesized was shown to be supported by the data.
143
Saddleback Journal of Biology
Spring 2010