(Oceanography Society, 2005-06)
Anderson, Donald M.; Pitcher, Grant C.; Estrada, Marta
Experimental and comparative methods have been referred to as “the two great
methods of science” (Mayr, 1982). To reach valid scientific conclusions, the
processes of interest should be studied through repeated investigations, preferably
over a range of differing conditions. The most direct way to accomplish this is the experimental
method, wherein controls are imposed that allow the scientist to systematically vary
conditions of interest while holding other factors constant. Marine ecosystems, however, are
not amenable to experimental control. One way to address this shortcoming is through the
comparative method (Mayr, 1982), which allows the processes of interest to be examined
on repeated occasions using naturally occurring temporal and spatial variations in existing
conditions and phenomena. In this case, the range of natural variability in conditions and
mechanisms substitute for controlled experimental treatments.
