The graph shows the average catch rates per hour of tiger sharks for various years between 1997 and 2007 in the Shark Bay ecosystem. Which claim about the shark population is best supported using the data?
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1 point
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More people fish for sharks in the winter than in the summer.
Sharks have larger body sizes during the summer than during the winter.
Sharks migrate northward from Shark Bay during the summer to maintain a low body temperature.
The population of sharks in Shark Bay is larger in the summer than in the winter.
The population of sharks in Shark Bay is larger in the summer than in the winter.
Based on the given data of the average catch rates per hour of tiger sharks for various years between 1997 and 2007 in the Shark Bay ecosystem, the best-supported claim about the shark population is that the population of sharks in Shark Bay is larger in the summer than in the winter.
To determine which claim about the shark population is best supported using the data, we need to analyze the information provided in the graph showing the average catch rates per hour of tiger sharks for various years between 1997 and 2007 in the Shark Bay ecosystem.
The graph displays catch rates per hour, meaning it measures the number of tiger sharks caught in a given hour during different years. The x-axis represents the years from 1997 to 2007, and the y-axis represents the catch rate per hour.
Now, let's evaluate each claim based on the graph:
1. More people fish for sharks in the winter than in the summer.
This claim cannot be supported or refuted using the given data because the graph only provides information about catch rates per hour and does not specify the seasons during which the catches occurred. We cannot infer anything about the number of people fishing for sharks in different seasons.
2. Sharks have larger body sizes during the summer than during the winter.
The graph does not provide any information about the body sizes of the sharks. Therefore, we cannot support or refute this claim using the given data.
3. Sharks migrate northward from Shark Bay during the summer to maintain a low body temperature.
The graph does not provide any information about the migration patterns of sharks. It only gives catch rates per hour, which cannot determine the direction or reasons for shark migration. Hence, we cannot support or refute this claim with the available data.
4. The population of sharks in Shark Bay is larger in the summer than in the winter.
Based on the graph, we observe that the catch rates per hour of tiger sharks vary across different years. However, the graph does not provide information about specific seasons. Therefore, we cannot directly determine whether the population of sharks in Shark Bay is larger in the summer or winter using the given data.
In conclusion, none of the claims can be confidently supported using the provided data. The given graph solely represents catch rates per hour and does not provide enough information to make conclusive statements about fishing patterns, shark body sizes, migration patterns, or the population of sharks in Shark Bay during different seasons.