On December 5, 2010 we ran a fish behavior study in the Dry Tortugas. We were looking at how the marine environment could have an effect on fish distribution. In this experiment fish groups (16 groups total) abundance was looked at in association with three levels of the water column (top, middle, and bottom), and as an association of three distances from shore (near, middle, far). We were looking at the abundance of fish as a function of groups, distance, and depth. It was hypothesized that there will be a difference in the density of fish at the different water column levels (top, middle, and bottom) and distance from shore (near, middle, and far). It was found that only the abundance of fish groups was significant (p=0.00). The distance and depth that species were found at was not significant, which could be due to the lack of replicates. From this information we can gather further information about general fish behavior, information on fish populations, and how natural areas differ from areas with human influence.
Fish Behavior Survey
