Development of an Independent Project in Marine Biology
- Deanna Soper
- Aug 6
- 3 min read
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Development of an Independent Project in Marine Biology
Introduction
Marine Biology is a field of study that focuses on the living organisms in saltwater habitats. Saltwater habitats are vast and diverse! Many research questions stem from previously collected data, observations, and areas of study that have many unanswered questions. Some marine biologists focus on ecological or evolutionary questions, while others might be interested in applied work such as coral restoration. We will use online databases to harvest data to answer a question you have developed. However, educators are encouraged to modify these resources as they see fit for their own classrooms.
Question Development
Observational data are used to identify species abundance, location, and interactions. The first thing you need to develop a question is curiosity! It is also helpful if you have had exposure to the kinds of datasets you will be collecting data from. If you have not already come in contact with underwater data, you will need to gain that experience. Your instructor will guide you to the datasets they want you to work with. Then, you should use your curiosity to develop a question. It may be helpful to have discussion time with a lab partner(s) in order to think through some questions you may be able to ask. After your discussion and consultation with your lab instructor(s), write your research question on the independent project outline sheet below. To get you started, some examples of questions that could be asked would be:
What depths do certain species reside in? (The species could vary, but students should focus on one smaller taxon or species.)
How do epibionts associate with coral (or sponge or rock) hosts?
What is the abundance of a certain species or taxon across different dives?
Possible Sources of Open Data
Start here to have a brief overview of different datasets: https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explainers/data.html
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Fish Landing Dataset: https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/fishstats/commercial-fisheries/landings-in-florida/
Alaska Fisheries Science Center Interactive Data Maps: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/commercial-fishing/alaska-fisheries-science-center-interactive-data-maps
NOAA - Deep-Sea Coral Research - https://deepseacoraldata.noaa.gov/
MBARI - Data and Repositories - https://www.mbari.org/our-work/data-repositories/
Ocean Biodiversity Information Systems (OBIS): https://obis.org/
World Register of Marine Species: https://www.marinespecies.org/
This will help with the official taxonomy of specific species
Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB): https://knb.ecoinformatics.org/
Analyzing ocean tracks: https://oceantracks.org/
Data Analysis
Once you have determined your question and the data you need to answer it, you will need to collect and prepare the data so you can quantitatively analyze it. You should use either Excel or Google Sheets. These programs will also be able to perform basic statistical analysis. Each dataset will vary widely in the kind of analysis that needs to be performed. You should work with your instructor(s) in order to determine the best method for analysis and data presentation.
Assignment
You will spend time during the lab developing your question by reviewing datasets that may be relevant to your interests. You will discuss your question with your lab partner(s) and then discuss your question with your instructor(s). You will then develop an outline for data collection methods and report all information on the sheet below.
Following this lab, your instructor will provide a timeline for collecting and analyzing your data and may require written, oral, or both forms of presentation for your project. Discuss this with your instructor and refer to the written/oral presentation instructions and rubrics.
Independent Project Outline
Research Question:
Experimental Data Collection
Write the data source(s) you will use to answer your question below:
Methodology
Write your plan to collect your data below. How will you collect your data? How will you set up your spreadsheet? Write the columns and rows for your spreadsheet below.
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