I think there are certain figures that we can use in these equations that lead to somewhat accurate expectations. There are also factors in the water body that will affect growth-differently-in every pond/lake environment. To assume it is an exact number that will be repeatable is where we have problems and make bad assumptions. Science only goes so far and there are and always will be "things" happening in an aquatic environment that we may never understand completely. Every spring during WAE egg-take we have 10-12 guys in the same cabin every night and most are high level biologists and I get to be the sponge, soaking up everything I can in the conversations and sometimes it gets really deep. The conclusions to most of the conversations lead back to the same place nearly every time... there are things we will never know for sure and Bill's suggestion of more studying and research being needed is in my opinion, spot-on.
