 | Ecology of Atlantic Shores Erin Miller, 2008 | ||||||||||||
| Home -------------------------- Nahant -------------------------- Narragansett Bay: Introduction Water Quality Methods Observations Results Discussion -------------------------- Bermuda: Introduction Water Quality Coral Disease Aspergillosis Hypothesis and Methods Results Discussion -------------------------- Conclusions -------------------------- References | Bermuda Results: Gorgonia ventalina
A univariate test of
significance shows that the different locations tested had significantly different
abundance of disease (ANOVA, F2, 27=12.46, p<.01).The proportion of total sea fans that are diseased was highest in G. ventalina colonies in Tobacco Bay lacked more zooxanthellae
than in Whalebone bay and Well Bay (x22=113.16,
p=<.01) (Figure 1). A comparative graph
combining this data shows that there is no obvious relationship between the
proportion of sea fans with disease and sea fans lacking zooxanthellae in each
of the three locations. Scatter plots of the number of sea fans per transect versus the number of diseased sea fans per transect for each of the three locations show no relationship between the denisty of sea fans and the density of disease (Figures 2, 3, and 4). Each location shows a negative relationship between the number of sea fans and the number of diseased sea fans, but the relationships are not highly significant for Well Bay and Whalebone Bay. Although the relationship at Tobacco Bay is a relatively good fit (Figure 2, R2=.43), this is inconsistent with my predictions. Figures 2, 3, and 4 (below): Number of sea fans per transect versus the number of diseased sea fans per transect, displaying the relationship between sea fan density and the prevalence of disease. All locations show negative relationships between the two variables.    Results: Water testing pH and nitrate levels were consistent across sample sites, while phosphate levels were "good" at Whalebone Bay and Cooper's Island, and "excellent" at John Smith's Bay and Tobacco Bay (Figure 2). Temperature levels differed slightly between locations (Table 1).  Figure 5: Water test rankings for Bermuda.
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(Figure 1).