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German to English translations [PRO] Tech/Engineering - Mathematics & Statistics
German term or phrase:lockern (räumlichen Kontakt )
Context:
"Mit der Zeit scheinen sie sich an die neue Umgebung zu gewöhnen, lockern den engen räumlichen Kontakt und erlauben größere Abweichungen von der Norm."
An aggregation of fish is the general term for any collection of fish that have gathered together in some locality. Fish aggregations can be structured or unstructured. An unstructured aggregation might be a group of mixed species and sizes that have gathered randomly near some local resource, such as food or nesting sites.
If, in addition, the aggregation comes together in an interactive, social way, they are said to be shoaling.[1] Although shoaling fish can relate to each other in a loose way, with each fish swimming and foraging somewhat independently, they are nonetheless aware of the other members of the group as shown by the way they adjust behaviour such as swimming, so as to remains close to the other fish in the group. Shoaling groups can include fish of disparate sizes and can including mixed-species subgroups.
If, as a further addition, the shoal becomes more tightly organised, with the fish synchronising their swimming so they all move at the same speed and in the same direction, then the fish are said to be schooling.[1][3] Schooling fish are usually of the same species and the same age/size. Fish schools move with the individual members precisely spaced from each other. The schools undertake complicated manoeuvres, as though the schools have minds of their own.[4]
A variation on JFox's answer. Lots of references can be found to schooling fish swimming in a "tight school", e.g. when feeling threatened or when placed in a new evironment. Then, as they begin to feel safer, the school becomes "looser". The following are of course very informal references, but it is something you could perhaps investigate further:
I have 5 different types of fish in my tank right now. I have two different types of rasbora, both school at 4 fish each, one very strongly and the other a little more loosely. A group of 5 dwarf barbs that school more loosely. The two groups of rasbora schooled together a lot at first, but seem more independent now (I think they feel safer with better cover). I have 4 small zebra loaches that are a group and that play together, but its not the same as the schools. (And then a pair of pairing fish, who generally stay together). http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3330
When there's 6 or more together, those fish school closely together. If there's less than this amount, they school more loosely. http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=186770
Over time, they seem to become accustomed to their new environment, relax their close proximity and allow greater deviation from the norm.
Not really happy with "relax their close proximity" though.
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Answers
1 hr confidence:
loosen
Explanation: loosen their close formation?
An aggregation of fish is the general term for any collection of fish that have gathered together in some locality. Fish aggregations can be structured or unstructured. An unstructured aggregation might be a group of mixed species and sizes that have gathered randomly near some local resource, such as food or nesting sites.
If, in addition, the aggregation comes together in an interactive, social way, they are said to be shoaling.[1] Although shoaling fish can relate to each other in a loose way, with each fish swimming and foraging somewhat independently, they are nonetheless aware of the other members of the group as shown by the way they adjust behaviour such as swimming, so as to remains close to the other fish in the group. Shoaling groups can include fish of disparate sizes and can including mixed-species subgroups.
If, as a further addition, the shoal becomes more tightly organised, with the fish synchronising their swimming so they all move at the same speed and in the same direction, then the fish are said to be schooling.[1][3] Schooling fish are usually of the same species and the same age/size. Fish schools move with the individual members precisely spaced from each other. The schools undertake complicated manoeuvres, as though the schools have minds of their own.[4]
http://icesjms.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/61/7/1214
In the model, the orientation and velocity of individuals were defined by the probability density function of a normal distribution and Gamma distributions, respectively. Simulations using the model showed that attraction to neighbours and parallel orientation behaviour are important factors in the organization of a fish school.
The translation workplace 
