Need to do a research paper...

[michika]

I have a research paper on animal communication that I need to complete to graduate this summer.

I'm thinking of focusing on fish, because i know something about them. I wanted to look at the communication of fish, possibly tangs, or (large) angels, and wanted to see if anyone can recommend any reading materials, books, papers, etc. if you know of any.

I should mention that there is an observation portion to the project, and if I can I would like to observe these fish. Initially my thought is it pick up tangs from the zebrasoma family, yellow, purple, scopas, black, etc. Not only can they help me with my observations, but they will also be going into a large system I'm building in a few months.

[Nate]

I would maybe consider focusing on the relationship between cleaner fish/shrimp and fish. This would be easy to observe, and lost to write about.

I would also consider the classic clowns/anemones.

Tangs would also work, you could talk about the difference in communication and relationships between aquaria tangs and wild tangs as well....

As for papers, not too sure, you will definently have to do some digging on this...

Nate

[michika]

The paper has to focus on communication so I'm hoping to do something on communication in groups and on their own. There is a presentation aspect, a seminar, and of course the paper itself.

I'm starting to research now, I've been digging in databases for a few hours now, but I'm only just getting started.

I'm not sure where I would go with communication between say shrimps and fish. Although the clown/anemone idea has some potential. Thanks for the suggestions. Any other ideas?

[Nate]

There is an ample amount of literature on the clownfish anemone relationships...I think that my suggestion to you would be Cleaning relationships/communication in general. You could even broaden it, and maybe do communication under the sea. This could be demonstrated using a small octopus, for colour change communication, or a fish approaching a cleaner shrimp and turning on its side, and opening its gill plate, or even clownfish dominance, and the shaking or vibrating behavior that they display when trying to climb the totem pole.

My suggestion to you would be to make it easy on yourself and pick something that info is readily avail. I did my final research paper on the aquarium industry and a business plan for an aquarium maintenance company (which I was already running) and I still had a hell of a time finding info.

Good luck

[muck]

I would suggest getting yer butt on a plane to Indonesia and viewing first hand some of these fish in the wild. :mrgreen:



Edit: You know you want to... :razz:

[michika]

Thanks for the heads up. I never wanted to do this class in the first place, so I feel like its a huge stretch for me to understand what is going on. Linking fish, which I know something about, with animal communications is helpful.

Clownfish seem to be the front runner right now because there is lots of research/books to be found so far.

[michika]

I would suggest getting yer butt on a plane to Indonesia and viewing first hand some of these fish in the wild. :mrgreen:



Edit: You know you want to... :razz:

Do I ever. :lol:

[Matt]

I was watching a nice discovery HD program the other day about language of squid. The researcher was arguing that they do communicate, at quite a sophisticated level, and that she was slowly learning their language.

I can't find a link to the program, but it might be enough for you to get started.

[findingnemo1]

Catherine i have a very thick book on the relationship of clownfish and there anemones....I am not sure who made it but a friend of ours who was a school teacher gave it to us. You are more than welcome to have it..:)

It must weigh 10 pounds that is trully how thick it is...And in my packing mess i just happen to know where it is:wink:

Lisa

[michika]

Matt, do you know more about the program? What was the name?

Lisa, who wrote the clownfish book?

[Matt]

Might have been cuttlefish, not generic squid... I wasn't paying enough attention and it was just "on" if you know what I mean.

I'll look through the listings to see if I can spot it again.

[Pan]

I've seen a paper on reflective communication of fish, but thats all. I'd suggest doing a search at the school focussing on academic papers and case studies, then broadening ( I hate that word, the last thing needed in research papers in a broadening of the subject matter) your search to books once you are familiar with some authors involved etc. You can also send emails to various marine biologists asking for their advice, of course it always helps to send to people interested in this aspect of the field but any might be able to point you in the right direction.

[findingnemo1]

I have no idea who it is by....I will try and pull out the box after dinner and let you know:)

[Matt]

Catherine, the description I found below looks like the show I almost saw... For added (almost) local colour, Dr. Mather is faculty at the University of Lethbridge. It was part of "The blue realm" series.

-------
“TENTACLES” follows Dr. Jennifer Mather as she leads a
team of renowned scientists to the beautiful Caribbean
island of Bonaire. Their mission is to prove a controversial
theory: reef squid speak to each other with a complex lan-
guage they paint on their skin.

[Sebae again]

I say Killer Whales if that qualifies. Over the years I have seen several shows based strictly on their communication and interaction between themselves.

[mark]

make sure you post a link here for your paper

[SeaShell]

There's also the communication aspects of the symbiotic relationship between the pistol shrimp and shrimp goby.....

[michika]

There's also the communication aspects of the symbiotic relationship between the pistol shrimp and shrimp goby.....

Very true, but is there enough research for a 25 page paper?

[SeaShell]

I'm sure there is, if you use a 36 font.

[christyf5]

Haha, don't forget to double space.

Hey you don't have to concentrate on a single example, why not use all of them? That would certainly fill up your pages. :biggrin:

[Der_Iron_Chef]

And use Courier New. :)

[Matt]

Very true, but is there enough research for a 25 page paper?
I say "yes" -- "Moehring, L.J. 1972. Communication systems of a goby shrimp symbiosis. Ph.D. thesis, University of Hawaii, 373 pp."

[michika]

That is a beast of a paper....I'm going to go find it now. Thanks Matt

I'm stuck between cuttlefish/octopi (sp?), and shrimp-fish relationships. I've abandoned the tang idea having searched and come up with little information.

I believe the preferred formatting is size 40, margins of 4", and an extra tall and bold font. :D

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

25 pages is not so bad.

My BSc(Agricultural Sc) thesis paper was 140 pages long and my MSc(BioE) thesis paper was 150+ pages long and all the research was conducted personally over the course of four years.

That should make you feel better about having to write a "short" paper, eh:biggrin:

At least my primary research was done working on ocean salmon farms in beautiful areas like Clayquot Sound (near Tofino) and at Broughton Island (outside Port McNeil).

Anthony

[michika]

Yup that does make me feel better. I wish I could do more hands on work, and less endless researching. Its one of the things that deter me from doing a masters degree.

I take it you learned a lot about salmon?

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Yeah. My BSc is in aquaculture & agricultural business & my MSc was in aquacultural engineering so I learned about the biological, business & engineering sides of fish farming. During the Master's research, I was able to work on three different fish farms for several months each as well as doing some work at the DFO Biological Research station in West Vancouver. Most of my hands-on research was developing underwater camera systems for use on fish farms. They were dual purpose since we set up two to give us stereo images which we recorded on SuperVHS (30 frames per sec) and put through special equipment and programmes to capture pics of individual fish so we could size the fish without physically touching them.

We used the same cameras to watch for feed loss at 40-50' depth. Its amazing but you can actually see feed pellets falling down at that depth if you position the camera to point up.

When I graduated, I worked for 4 years on BC's largest salmon smolt farm where I used the same type of patented camera systems to manage the feed. We knocked the Feed Conversion Ratios (how many kg of feed to produce one kg of fish mass) from over 3.0 to between 0.97-1.17. There was almost no waste feed falling through the net cages by the time I quit. Almost every fish farm in BC & many around the world now use this same technology to control feed wastage. And UBC got all the money from selling the patents on the technology WE developed. That sorta sucks but what can you do.

Anthony

[michika]

I only wish the University of Alberta offered anything in marine sciences. Even the stuff from Bamfield wasn't in my path of interest. I would love to get some hands on experience like what you got. It sounds like you did lots of great work.

I think in September I'm going to go back for a B.Sc in biology and try to focus on marine biology. I really want to look into aquaculture.

Did you do everything through UBC?

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Yup, UBC. Did my double Bachelors with Agricultural Sciences. Did my Masters with BioResource Engineering.

Realistically, most aquaculture jobs don't require a Masters. Bachelors at the most would be sufficient.

I was actually planning on going to Japan to teach English for a couple of years after my BScs or to a MBA but my BioE prof offered to get me funding for research and as a TA so I did that instead.

Anthony

[kwirky]

my cinnamon clowns were the most "vocal" fish I've ever owned. I had two that paired up and they fought and squabbled in their own "married" way all the time. Lots to watch...

the male would often turn on his side as a sign of submission to the female, among other things.