| WRL reference | M01 D03 | |
| Module | M01 Ecosystems – Coral Reefs | |
| Data Set | D03 Temperature tolerance of lionfish in Indonesia | |
| Research questions | 1. Do lionfish exhibit different thermal tolerance levels when acclimated at different constant temperatures?
2. Is there a predictable relationship between acclimation temperature an thermal tolerance for red lion fish? |
|
| Keywords | Adaptation; abiotic; biotic; climate change; coefficient of variation; coral; environmental impact; error bars; ecosystem; homeostasis; invasive (alien) species; physiology; statistics; temperature control; sampling; standard deviation; standard error | |
| Potential Curriculum links | AP Biology | 2.C.2, 2.D.1, 2.D.3, 4.A.6 |
| AP Env Sci | II Living world A-E | |
| IB Biology | 4.4, C.1 | |
| IB Ess | 2.1.3, 2.5.1, 2.6.7 | |
| AQA | 3.4.6, 3.4.7, 3.7.4, MS, AT, PS | |
| edexcel | A – 4.3, 4.4, 5.1, 5.2, 5.18, B – 9.9, 10.1, 10.3 Maths A | |
| OCR | A – 4.2.1, 5.1.1, 6.3.1, 6.3.2, B – 4.3.1, 4.3.2- M, PAG, HSW | |
| SQA | FH2H 2 (b) (i), FH2J 3 (b) (c) (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) | |
| CCEA | 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.3.14, 2.3.15, 4.4.15 | |
| WJEC | C1-5, C2 -1, App B, Pract.req. | |
| Summary | This research looks at how lionfish adapt to different sea-water temperatures. This physiological experiment compares how 20 lionfish adapt to increasing water temperatures by being placed in specially designed water tanks. The data can be plotted simply or be treated in more complex manner using statistical tests. Lionfish are also significant predators on coral reefs and they are expanding their range by their ability to adapt to rising sea water temperatures. They could pose a real threat by being significant invasive species. Advanced statistics include standard deviation, regression and coefficient of variation. Difficulty: Research Q1 – 5/10 Research Q2 – 9/10 |
|
