A study of fish populations used simple random sampling but didn't find any fish in deep water habitats. What is the most likely explanation?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

When evaluating why a study using simple random sampling did not find any fish in deep water habitats, we start by considering what simple random sampling assumes and what the results imply.
Option 1: 'By chance, the random selection missed deep water areas despite them being part of the population.' This is a plausible explanation. Even with random sampling, it's possible that the specific samples drawn from deep-water areas were simply not chosen, especially if deep-water zones are a relatively small portion of the overall habitat or if the sampling effort was limited. This reflects sampling variation and the role of chance in random samples.
Option 2: 'Deep water habitats were not part of the defined population.' If deep-water habitats were excluded from the population, finding no fish there would be expected, but the stem states they were part of the population, so this option contradicts the premise and is inconsistent with the scenario described.
Option 3: 'The sampling method wasn't truly random.' If the method failed to be truly random, systematic or biased sampling could skew results. However, the prompt states simple random sampling was used, which would reduce systematic bias. Unless there is evidence of a flaw in implementation, this is less likely than the chance explanation in Option 1, though it remains a possible alternative in practice.
Option 4: 'Fish don't exist in deep water habitats.' This is an absolute claim about biology that contradicts the premise that deep-water habitats are part of the population. Unless there is prior evidence contradicting this, this option is scientifically unlikely and not consistent with the scenario described.
In summary, the most consistent interpretation with random sampling yielding zero finds in deep-water zones is that the deep-water areas were present in the population but were not captured in the sample purely by chance. The other options introduce either a misframing of the population, an assumption about the sampling process without evidence, or an incorrect biological claim that does not align with the given setup.

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A study of fish populations used simple random sampling but didn't find any fish in deep water habitats. What is the most likely explanation?

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