Visual strip-transect search
a research method for studying fish in which two divers swim side-by-side down either side of a transect, counting all fishes seen within a specified corridor (M4)
Sedimentation
the process of forming or depositing sediment, often caused by soil being eroded and washed into the ocean (C4, M4)
Point-intercept method
a research technique used to study coral cover or invertebrate species that live on a coral reef; involves identifying the type of cover at various points along a transect (M4)
Photoquadrat method
research technique used to study coral cover or invertebrate species that live on a coral reef; involves photographing portions of the ocean bottom and later analyzing the photographs (M4)
Percent cover
in coral reef monitoring, the proportion of a given area that is covered by coral (M4)
Observer bias
error introduced into scientific investigations because of the person collecting data (M4, M5)
Fixed photoquadrat method
a research technique in which photographs of specified areas of the ocean bottom are studied over time; see ‘photoquadrat method’ (M4)
Extrapolate
project known data to an unknown circumstance or location, as in using a sample to draw conclusions about a broader area (M4)