Create an excel file with the data in the lab manual for the four treatment temperatures: 26°C, 28°C, 30°C, and 26-30°C fluctuation. Proofread the data you enter to avoid typos. The screenshot on page 185 gives an example of what the data will look like in the spreadsheet.
Calculate the standard deviations, sample sizes, and standard errors for each temperature. Make a graph.
Then, please answer the following questions in a textbox in your spreadsheet next to your data/graph:
- What was the mean and standard error of coral growth(change mg/cm2) at each of the four temperature categories? What do the standard errors of these means tell you about the reliability of this data? (A small standard error is an indication that the sample mean is a more accurate reflection of the actual population mean).
- Remember that the average water temperature of the coral’s natural habitat was 28 °C. What would happen if climate change were to cause the average water temperature to increase to 30°C?