PRE2022 3 Group7/interviews

Interviews carried out by group 7

Questions

1. In your specific field of research, how is data collected?
2. What aspects do you prefer about this method of data collecting?
3. What aspects do you think could be improved about this method of data collecting?
4. Do you feel there is a dimension of sorts which is missing from your data (for example the current depth, time or air temperature)?
5. Is the data you use for research obtained in real time? If so, is this beneficial for your research or is it unnecessary? If not, would it improve your research?
6. For how big of an area would one buoy be able to sense and gain representable/useful data?
7. Our idea now is a buoy which consists mainly of a base and a diver (where the sensors are connected to) which are connected via a wire. The base is mounted to an anchor on the ocean floor. The diver can dive down along the anchor chain to obtain the relevant data and send this to the base which can then send it to the researcher, data is thus sent in real time and the specific depth is known. What are your initial thoughts on our idea?
8. Which aspects do you like about our idea and what do you think can be improved or added in a general sense?
9. Now some more questions about coral reefs: Do you think that how data is obtained on coral reefs is incomplete? If so, what do you think is missing?
10. How much money would you spend on using this type of buoy (without sensors)? If your research is subsidised by a government or university, how much would they invest in this?
11. Our design now includes an anchor which lays on the ocean floor. Is this a sufficient solution to stabilise the buoy, i.e. could the anchor damage the coral in any way as for the chain?
12. Do you have any final comments or opinions you would like to mention about coral reefs, our idea or anything we may have missed?

Answers

Person 1

1. Diving/snorkeling on reefs, down to ca. 30 meters. We collect faunal data by hand (measurements, counts), take photographs and collect specimens for further research.
2. We collect data on specific species/ taxa. Our approach minimise damage to the reefs, and is very focused in approach to optimise the data collection in the limited time we have.
3. I don't the data collecting can really be improved, most optimisation options are in the data processing steps (vouchers, genetics, photographs). The only think I am imagine is an easier way to connect the data points and photographs / specimens to each other to minimise human error with data entering.
4. Depth is added by means of a dive computer, time and air are not relevant for my work.
5. No, that is unnecessary for my work. Time scales that I am interested in are either evolutionary (>2 Mya) or seasonal.
6. I guess that will depend on the type of question. Probably smaller than you think.
7. You are assuming that data is only collected along a depth gradient, but normally (at least in my research) data is mostly collected along the reef (hence we swim horizontally, not vertically).
8. Your idea is rather static and will allow for data collection without a diver present. If you can add e.g. oxygen measurements, one could employ the buoy and let it collect data by itself?
9. In my specific field, no not really. For other research field this question is too general to answer I am afraid.
10. There is no real link to my research, hence I would not invest in it. A university also wouldn't, this would have to be funded by grants. A few thousand euros max (with sensors) I would say.
11. On many coral reefs you will absolutely not get permission to throw down anchors as they are very damaging for reefs. More and more sites have permanent buoys to anchor boats. Ideally I would use reef hooks or some kind of rope to attach it myself by diving.
12. Researcher have different needs, I think flexibility in sensor type will be important (pH, oxygen, water velocity) etc