Collaborators:
Gabriella Muinde
Frederick Brown
Devyon Williams
Abstract:
For many years now biologists have been using the tagging method as a way to help determine the populations of butterflies, fish and many other species. Not only would the results be used for population counts, but they would also be used as a way to help track migrations patterns, ranges and health. The species would be captured and tagged then released into the water so that they could redistribute themselves. When theses random samples are done biologist will them determine the percent of the species tagged and try to hypothesize the population of that species. But for many years now some biologist have been saying that they do not believe that this is an effective method for determining population size. So the purpose of this lab was to try and determine if tagging really was effective. With the colored goldfish we would do just as biologist do with the real fish and determine our own results to see if tagging was effective or a waste of time.
Problem:
Is tagging an effective method for checking population size?
Hypothesis:
I would sayyes this is an effective way to determine the population because it allows biologist a way to track the movement of the fish or any other species that they use it for.
Materials:
- Regular and colored goldfish
- Paper plate
Procedure:
1. Obtain a bowl with your fish.
2. Do NOT count the number of fish in your pond yet!
3. Have one member of your group remove a large handful of fish.
4. Count the number of fish you just removed and write it in the table below.
5. Replace these fish with "tagged" fish (in this case, colored "fish")
6. Mix your pond well to redistribute the tagged fish among the other fish.
7. One member at a time (and without looking), remove a handful of fish and record the number of total fish in the sample, the number of tagged fish, and figure out the percentage of tagged fish. (see chart)
8. Return your handful to the bowl!
9. Continue with this until you have taken 20 samples.
Data:
Gabriella Muinde
Frederick Brown
Devyon Williams
Abstract:
For many years now biologists have been using the tagging method as a way to help determine the populations of butterflies, fish and many other species. Not only would the results be used for population counts, but they would also be used as a way to help track migrations patterns, ranges and health. The species would be captured and tagged then released into the water so that they could redistribute themselves. When theses random samples are done biologist will them determine the percent of the species tagged and try to hypothesize the population of that species. But for many years now some biologist have been saying that they do not believe that this is an effective method for determining population size. So the purpose of this lab was to try and determine if tagging really was effective. With the colored goldfish we would do just as biologist do with the real fish and determine our own results to see if tagging was effective or a waste of time.
Problem:
Is tagging an effective method for checking population size?
Hypothesis:
I would sayyes this is an effective way to determine the population because it allows biologist a way to track the movement of the fish or any other species that they use it for.
Materials:
- Regular and colored goldfish
- Paper plate
Procedure:
1. Obtain a bowl with your fish.
2. Do NOT count the number of fish in your pond yet!
3. Have one member of your group remove a large handful of fish.
4. Count the number of fish you just removed and write it in the table below.
5. Replace these fish with "tagged" fish (in this case, colored "fish")
6. Mix your pond well to redistribute the tagged fish among the other fish.
7. One member at a time (and without looking), remove a handful of fish and record the number of total fish in the sample, the number of tagged fish, and figure out the percentage of tagged fish. (see chart)
8. Return your handful to the bowl!
9. Continue with this until you have taken 20 samples.
Data:
Analysis and Conclusion:
1. The mean of the percent of fish tagged would be 24.3%.
2. The estimated population for our pond with the given population would be (25/24.3%)x100= 102.88= 102
3. Then the actual count of the number of fish in our bowl was 105.
4. Our percentage error was -2.85 %.
5. Based on the data that my group got I would say that yes tagging is a very effective way to count the population of the fish. My group got a population of 102 and the actual population was only 105 so we were only off by three fish which is not bad.
6. When trying to use this method to determine a species population there are may things that biologist should take into consideration about the species habits. Some habits may include where the species would normally be found, the food that it eats and how certain climate effect the species. These are all big things that would effect where and when a species would be found in a certain areas.
General Analysis and Conclusion:
After this procedure was complete it was clear to me that my hypothesis was correct. Tagging is a very effective method that is used by all biologist in many different. Some use it as a way to help track the population of some species, while others can also use tagging as a way to help track the species activities and specific locations. As seen in the article attacked in Florida biologist used tagging as a way to help them track the seventeen foot python that was on the run and hard to catch. This method is very effective and has not let any scientist down so far. The article is just one of the many ways that biologist have used tagging as a way to help them. Even though there were minor errors in our procedure, the results stand as an example to show how efficient this method is. When doing the procedure our group came up with a different number for the population of the fish but that could have been something that was calculated wrong and we could have done something differently if we were to do this lab over again. But other than that our group did a good job and other than a few mistakes with the calculation everything else was good. People who have doubt about this method need to look at the results of the many people that have already used it and understand that it really does work and it has been a very big help to many biologist all around.
Citations:
- Click on the Button Text
1. The mean of the percent of fish tagged would be 24.3%.
2. The estimated population for our pond with the given population would be (25/24.3%)x100= 102.88= 102
3. Then the actual count of the number of fish in our bowl was 105.
4. Our percentage error was -2.85 %.
5. Based on the data that my group got I would say that yes tagging is a very effective way to count the population of the fish. My group got a population of 102 and the actual population was only 105 so we were only off by three fish which is not bad.
6. When trying to use this method to determine a species population there are may things that biologist should take into consideration about the species habits. Some habits may include where the species would normally be found, the food that it eats and how certain climate effect the species. These are all big things that would effect where and when a species would be found in a certain areas.
General Analysis and Conclusion:
After this procedure was complete it was clear to me that my hypothesis was correct. Tagging is a very effective method that is used by all biologist in many different. Some use it as a way to help track the population of some species, while others can also use tagging as a way to help track the species activities and specific locations. As seen in the article attacked in Florida biologist used tagging as a way to help them track the seventeen foot python that was on the run and hard to catch. This method is very effective and has not let any scientist down so far. The article is just one of the many ways that biologist have used tagging as a way to help them. Even though there were minor errors in our procedure, the results stand as an example to show how efficient this method is. When doing the procedure our group came up with a different number for the population of the fish but that could have been something that was calculated wrong and we could have done something differently if we were to do this lab over again. But other than that our group did a good job and other than a few mistakes with the calculation everything else was good. People who have doubt about this method need to look at the results of the many people that have already used it and understand that it really does work and it has been a very big help to many biologist all around.
Citations:
- Click on the Button Text