Discussion
The results were found to be a mix of significant and insignificant results for ph and salinities Influence on snail density for each individual pool. This indicates that due to the uniqueness and Individuality of each pool a factor such as salinity may have more influence in one pool over another. (Buchsbaum) Pool three and pool four had the greatest littorina density yet both p-values were insignificant for salinity. The raw salinity data for each of these was inconsistent; pool 4 fluctuated from a salinity of 23 to 42 over a months time, pool 3 went from 23 to 35 over a months time. This may lead to the assertion that salinity Is not as important a factor in high snail densities.
pH was found to be significant in pool three while insignificant in pool four. Pool three has a slightly lower pH average than pool four. Pool four was tested to have a pH of 8.5 on the second day and than an 8 on the third experimental day. This inconsistence is more likely to be due to lab error and it is likely that pool four had a similar pH of 8 on day two. As the lab method depends on estimation of color. However it is possible that it is also accurate as seawater has an average pH of 7.4 to 8.4. (Mash) If it were accurate than it again suggests that there are always many other factors that influence a pool and that some are more important than others in each pool.
Volatile and ever changing tide pools are difficult to study due to the many biotic and abiotic factors that make up the ecosystem. Though each factor does contribute and influences the ecosystem as a whole. The combined data for the tide pools was found to significant for both pH and salinity. So while each individual tide pools littorina density, may not be influenced by salinity and pH, in general they do affect most tide pools littorinas' density.
Essentially this experiment proved to be a success in showing that snail density is influenced by salinity and pH in certain tide pool ecosystems while non-influential in other. A follow up to this experiment should be a large scale experiment in testing both pH and salinities influence on littorina density. Additonally a comprehensive study on how all abiotic factors influence littorina density would lead to a better understanding of littorinas optimal environment. It would also lead to a greater understanding of the relationships between the abiotic factors of tide pool ecosystems.