Observations in ecology: you can't make progress on processes without understanding the patterns

Coastal marine ecology is, quite properly, increasingly focussed on experim ental tests of hypotheses about processes. These are, however, done to expl ain observations and patterns. It is therefore appropriate to be able to pu blish quantitative observations to provide the context and basis for studyi ng mechanisms and processes. Ecologists are concerned about very different types of observations. Some areas of study are still totally dependent on o bservational, descriptive evidence; some depend on mensurative tests of hyp otheses about patterns. Tests of hypotheses about patterns are also needed to validate casual or qualitative observations. Guide-lines for what consti tutes appropriate or publishable ecological descriptions are discussed here . These recognize the experimental, hypothesis-testing nature of many descr iptive studies and consider the relevance of sound logic and experimental d esign in the planning, collection and interpretation of observations. (C) 2 000 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserved.