Question

companies have been collecting data on an organism in a habitat surrounding a local tidal power plant. they compare data with a habitat that is not near a local tidal power plant. the have found a decrease in the populations of some organisms near the power plant. what inference can the scientists make from these observations?

• the two habitats are completely different, so there would be no inference that could be made about the tidal power plant.
• scientists could infer that the human activity at the tidal power plant may be having a negative impact on the organisms in the habitat.
• scientists could infer that the habitat will remain stable despite the tidal power plant and should collect data to test this hypothesis.
• scientists would need to collect more data on tidal power plants in order to make any inferences about the marine organisms.

Explanation:

• Analyze each option:
• First option: The habitats are compared, so saying no inference can be made is wrong as data shows a population decrease near the plant.
• Second option: Since populations decreased near the tidal power plant (a human - made structure with human activity), it's reasonable to infer that human activity at the plant may negatively impact the organisms.
• Third option: The data shows a population decrease, so inferring the habitat will remain stable goes against the observation.
• Fourth option: The current data (comparing two habitats) is enough to make a preliminary inference, so this is incorrect.

Answer:

B. Scientists could infer that the human activity at the tidal power plant may be having a negative impact on the organisms in the habitat.