Wednesday we went out to turn our pilot study into a real experiment. We opted for the tide pools in Montana de Oro state park, as they seemed more accessible and feasible for our study. We walked down to the bluffs by the Badger trail. I measured the total area to be around 0.15mi in length by running as close as I could on the perimeter. The tide posed an issue of width, but we went out as close to low tide as we could, and it seemed to be minor while sampling. Measuring the length in meters by twine proved simple and effective. The random number generator gave us coordinates along our twine axis and then further down our width axis. From the point on the horizontal twine, we walked out to various points to set up the quadrat. With an incoming tide obstructing the view and changing the environment, we opted to only count 10 quadrats 0.5m squared. We counted as fast as we could, but in the end it is only an estimate. We have to acknowledge that there is a probability of detection involved; not all turban snails could have been seen or present. I would call it a successful sample because the random number generator spread our samples over a wide variety of spots in the area, and the data seemed cohesive.
- Kelsie Clausen
Here are some photos I took of the day:
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| The study area |
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| The turban snails counted |
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| Tide pools stretched longitudinally |
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| A typical view of a quadrat sample |
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| Marking the twine in meters |
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| Counting the distance horizontally |
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