cmsufishdata.html

The CMSU Coral Reef Fish Count Project

St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica - June, 1999

I. Description: Two locations were compared, Lee Reef and Drax Hall.

The Lee Reef habitat of St. Ann's Bay (shown below) is very open (far from shore) and the water is extremely species rich. The coral structure provides for more habitat niches, and its wave action renews the plankton population. Among other things, fish traps are commonly found here. Although in this photo all you can see is the water surface, Lee Reef is very structured by the coral (see photo on the right).



Drax Hall (shown below) is very protected and less structured than the reef. There you would find turtle grass beds, mixing of freshwater from streams, and a closer shore.

II. Hypotheses:

Hypothesis 1: There will be a greater number of fish species at Lee Reef than at Drax Hall.

Hypothesis 2: There will be a greater percentage of piscivores at Lee Reef than at Drax Hall.

Hypothesis 3: There will be a greater overall concentration of herbivores and omnivores than piscivores.

III. Problems of the Investigation:

a. Some species were in hiding.

b. Some people were unfamiliar with some species of fish, so they did not get counted.

c. Large schools of fish were hard to count.

IV. Procedure: The five teams (of four individuals) each counted the first 100 fish seen at each location. Each team had one individual recording data on an underwater slate while the three other members identified the fish seen using waterproof fish guides.

V. Results:

Lee Reef Species	Team 1	2	3	4	5	Total	%	Diet
Squirrelfish		1						O
Longspine Squirrelfish		2			11			O
Trumpetfish					4			P
Tobaccofish		4						P,O
Bar Jack	19		40		17			P
Rainbow Runner			6					P
Margate					1			H,O
Tomtate	11			64				H,O
French Grunt					3			H,O
Yellow Goatfish		10						O
Spotted Goatfish			5	15				O
Banded Butterflyfish		4	1		3			O
Spotfin Butterflyfish		1						O
French Angelfish			1					O
Sergeant Major		5						P
Blue Chromis			22					O
Threespot Damselfish		2	2					O
Yellowtail Damselfish	16				6			O
Dusky Damselfish		4						H
Bicolor Damselfish		2			1			O
Cocoa Damselfish	22				2			O
Yellowhead Wrasse	1	12	1					O
Clown Wrasse			1					O
Bluehead Wrasse		5	1		10			O
Striped Parrotfish		7			15			H
Princess Parrotfish		20	1					H
Redband Parrotfish		2						H
Stoplight Parrotfish		2	7		6			H
Blenny					2			H
Bridled Goby		1						O
Ocean Surgeonfish		13	7	4	15			H
Doctorfish					1			H
Blue Tang		1	4	17	3			H
Queen Triggerfish	1							O
Ocean Triggerfish		2						O
Balloonfish	2		1					O
Sand Drum	28							P

Totals	100	100	100	100	100	500	100

Drax Hall Species	Team 1	2	3	4	5	Total	%	Diet
Blackbar Soldierfish				1				O
Squirrelfish			1					O
Bar Jack			18	47				P
Rainbow Runner				3				P
Bluestriped Grunt		12						H,O
French Grunt	1	14	6					H,O
Tomtate				9				H,O
Spotted Goatfish			4	6	8			O
Yellow Goatfish					12			O
Queen Angelfish			1					O
Cocoa Damselfish	4			1				O
Sunshinefish				1	7			H
Beaugregory			8	5	1			H
Dusky Damselfish	10		8		4			H
Sergeant Major	34	30	17					H
Yellowtail Damselfish		4	7	13				H
Bicolor Damselfish	2							O
Yellowhead Wrasse	18	5		4	4			O
Bluehead Wrasse	10	19	3		7			O
Clown Wrasse					6			O
Hogfish			9					O
Puddingwife			3					O
Striped Parrotfish					2			H
Queen Parrotfish					9			H
Stoplight Parrotfish	2				4			H
Bridled Goby					10			O
Ocean Surgeonfish	16	9	10	10	23			H
Doctorfish			3					H
Blue Tang		4	1		3			H
Balloonfish	2							O
Peacock Flounder		2						O,P
Spotted Moray	1		1					P
Spotted Trunkfish		1						O

Totals	100	100	100	100	100	500	100

VI. Analysis of Data: Now it is your turn! First print each of the two tables above. To make it easier to print these tables, you can open them in their own browser windows. Here is the Lee Reef data table and the Drax Hall data table.

Next, complete the "total" and "%" columns in each table. Use your math and graphing skills to present the data in an organized way that shows some method of statistical or descriptive analysis. Here are some suggestions and examples of how to display this data.

Finally, use the data to write a conclusion that supports or rejects one or more of the hypotheses from section II.