Where Are All the Big Ones Living?
Data Story
Compare limpet counts in and out of protected areas via dot plots.
Welcome to this Tuva data story! Owl limpets are ocean snails. They eat algae that grows on rocks and cliff edges at the edge of the Pacific Ocean. In fact, owl limpets “farm” the algae that they eat on the rocks! They purposefully eat some areas of algae, while leaving other areas of algae alone to grow. Another interesting thing about limpets is that larger ones are typically females, and smaller ones are typically males. That means you can measure the sizes of owl limpets to get sense of how well the population in an area is doing overall. If there are many large limpets (likely females), there will likely be lots of new limpets being reproduced in the area. If there are mostly small limpets (likely males), then limpet reproduction might be more limited. Marine Protected Areas are parks in the ocean that offer protection to the ecosystem and the animals that live in the park. Does protecting an area make a difference to the sizes of limpets in a population? In this data story, you will compare limpet counts in and out of protected areas via dot plots. Click Next to get started!
Topics and standards: Science, Ocean, Life Science, MS-LS2-4, HS-LS2-2, LS2.A, Ecosystems, Ecosystem Relationships, Patterns, Grades 9-12, Grades 6-8, Notice-Think-Wonder, Dot Plots, TEKS Science 8.12.A, TEKS Science 8.12.B, TEKS Science ENV.5.G, TEKS Science ENV.8.B, TEKS Science ENV.8.D, 6-LS2-4, 3.1.6-8.L, 3.1.9-12.L