Ap Bio Sea Slug Essay

A) As we watch the Bursatella leachii,(sea slug), we notice that the distance between them is directly proportional to the time of day. As the sun because stronger, and higher in the day, the average distance between the sea slugs greatens. As the sun becomes weaker, the distance between the sea slugs lessens. I believe this has to do with the reaction the Bursatella leachii has towards the sunlight. This hypothesis is based on the idea that the Bursatella leachii eat during the day. Since they are not plants and do not get energy from photosynthesis, they get there nutrients from other animals or plants. Their food could be most prominent in the day time, or maybe it is easier to see, so they spread out to "hunt" during the day time. Another variable that could cause the slugs to vary their distance from one another would be that the Bursatella leachii, during the day need more space than at night, because the sun would be stronger, giving the water a higher temperature during the day. During the day, the Bursatella leachii would need to be farther apart to prevent overheating in the direct view of the sun. During the night, the Bursatella leachii could be closer together, because the sun is not as strong, and they need to stay warm. The Bursatella leachii could also be huddling together at night for protection. During the day, they can spread out, due to the fact they can see any potential threat coming towards them. But during the night, they cannot see, so they huddle close together to stay safe.
B) If I were to design a controlled experiment, I would take two samples. one in which the Bursatella leachii was placed in its normal environment. The second sample would have the Bursatella leachii in a controlled environment, where we could control the brightness, darkness, and the temperature of the water. Since we know what would happen if the Bursatella leachii are in contact with warmer water, we would use the second controlled sample, and tweak