My research project is about observation of high and low tides and the activity of white and grey herons at Kamala beach in Phuket, Thailand. My hypothesis is that level of tides impacts the activity of white and grey herons in the intertidal area. During low tide the number of herons in the intertidal area (area that is underwater during high tide and above water level during low tide) will be greater than during high tide.
White and grey herons are carnivorous and their diet consists of wide variety of aquatic animals such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic insects. During low tide the water level drops significantly from 2.5-3.0 meters to 0.5-1.0 meters creating a relatively large area of around 35.000 square meters of shallow water. Some parts of the area are totally free of water and some have water pockets that trap aquatic organisms like small fish, crabs, shrimp, krill. Moreover, shell organisms that live mainly on rocks get exposed because of the decreased water level.
As a consequence, retreated waters during low tide allow herons to feed in the area of shallow water where the visibility is great for them and aquatic animals have less chance to escape from their predators due to less mobility in conditions of low tide. Thus, availability of food that was previously hidden underwater and difficult to find during high tide attracts a number of white and grey herons.
Keywords that I can use to describe my research project:
– Tides
– Herons
– Intertidal area
– Effects of tides