Question

garinder pond study overview (1) on may 18th, 2011, four fisherman returned from garinder pond reporting that the pond had become murky and visibly overgrown with algae. (2) many dead fish were observed floating on the surface. (3) this report suggested to us that the pond had become overrun so what are the dependent and independent variables of this study? the independent variable is the... select... the dependent variable is the... select...

Explanation:

The independent variable is what is manipulated or changed, and the dependent variable is what is measured or affected by the change in the independent variable. In this pond - study context, factors like pollution levels, nutrient inputs, or chemical discharges (if any) that cause the changes in the pond could be independent variables. The state of the pond such as water clarity (murkiness), algae growth, and the number of dead fish are outcomes affected by the independent variable, so they are dependent variables. For example, an increase in nutrient runoff (independent variable) could lead to more algae growth and more dead fish (dependent variables).

Answer:

The independent variable is something like nutrient levels in the pond (assuming a factor that could cause the observed changes).
The dependent variable is the murkiness of the water, the amount of algae growth, and the number of dead fish.