A group of scientists working for the University of Florida commented on the lack of alligators in a swampy area around Jacksonville, Florida. They hypothesized that recent land development for housing and an increased human population had driven the alligators from their normal habitats. The scientists tracked the population data of alligators in the area for a period spanning 100 years and concluded that their hypothesis was correct; human sprawl had greatly limited the alligator population.
How might the scientists enhance their data collection efforts to support their conclusions better?