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Citizen Scientist Monitoring of Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2016

Published by California Ocean Protection Council | State of California | Metadata Last Checked: July 29, 2025 | Last Modified: 2018-05-15T18:24:55.288889
RCCA volunteer citizen scientists conducted 18 visual scuba transects at each monitoring site to survey densities and sizes of ecologically and economically important fish, invertebrate and algal species and to characterize the physical habitats. Transects were 30-meters long and 2-meters wide swaths above the rocky reef substrate. Divers counted and sized key species of fish (35 species), counted invertebrates (33 species) and algae (9 species), and estimated the percent cover of substrate types and vertical relief of the seafloor. Over the baseline monitoring of 2014-2015, RCCA conducted 18 surveys at eight monitoring sites in the NCSR. Three of these sites have been surveyed since 2007. The data from these surveys were analyzed at multiple scales to provide baseline characterization of the kelp forest ecosystems at the time of MPA implementation. We characterized the biological community at the RCCA monitoring sites by summarizing the physical and biological characteristics of each of the sites. These summaries will serve as a reference point in the future as long-term monitoring continues.

Resources

27 resources available

  • MPA Baseline Program Information - North Coast

    CSV
    Download

  • Invertebrate Survey - Species Lookup Table - Metadata

    CSV
    Download

  • Fish Survey - Fish Species Lookup Table - Metadata

    CSV
    Download

  • Fish Survey - Fish Species Lookup Table

    CSV
    Download

  • Invertebrate Survey - Species Lookup Table

    CSV
    Download

  • Site Lookup Table

    CSV
    Download

  • Uniform Point Contact - Lookup Table - Metadata

    CSV
    Download

  • MPA Baseline Program Information - North Coast - Metadata

    CSV
    Download

  • Site Lookup Table - Metadata

    CSV
    Download

  • Uniform Point Contact - Data Table 2014 - 2015

    CSV
    Download

  • Fish Survey - Data Table 2014 - 2015 - Metadata

    CSV
    Download

  • MPA Boundary Details - North Coast - Metadata

    CSV
    Download

  • MPA Boundary Details - North Coast

    CSV
    Download

  • Invertebrate Survey - Abalone Sizes 2014 - 2015

    CSV
    Download

  • Invertebrate Survey - Data Table 2014 - 2015 - Metadata

    CSV
    Download

  • Invertebrate Survey - Abalone Sizes 2014 - 2015 - Metadata

    CSV
    Download

  • Invertebrate Survey - Data Table 2014 - 2015

    CSV
    Download

  • Fish Survey - Data Table 2014 - 2015

    CSV
    Download

  • Uniform Point Contact - Data Table 2014 - 2015 - Metadata

    CSV
    Download

  • Uniform Point Contact - Lookup Table

    CSV
    Download

  • Full Data Package for Citizen Scientist Monitoring of Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2016

    ZIP
    Download

  • Uniform Point Contact - Metadata

    XML
    Download

  • Fish Survey - Metadata

    XML
    Download

  • Uniform Point Contact - Methods and Sampling Metata

    PDF
    Download

  • Fish Survey - Methods and Sampling Metada

    PDF
    Download

  • Invertebrate Survey - Methods and Sampling Metadata

    PDF
    Download

  • Final Report Reef Check California: Citizen Scientist monitoring of rocky reefs and kelp forests: Creating a baseline for California's North Coast MPAs

    PDF
    Download

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Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel public
contactPoint 
                                            {
  "fn": "Jan Freiwald",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:jfreiwald@reefcheck.org"
}
description RCCA volunteer citizen scientists conducted 18 visual scuba transects at each monitoring site to survey densities and sizes of ecologically and economically important fish, invertebrate and algal species and to characterize the physical habitats. Transects were 30-meters long and 2-meters wide swaths above the rocky reef substrate. Divers counted and sized key species of fish (35 species), counted invertebrates (33 species) and algae (9 species), and estimated the percent cover of substrate types and vertical relief of the seafloor. Over the baseline monitoring of 2014-2015, RCCA conducted 18 surveys at eight monitoring sites in the NCSR. Three of these sites have been surveyed since 2007. The data from these surveys were analyzed at multiple scales to provide baseline characterization of the kelp forest ecosystems at the time of MPA implementation. We characterized the biological community at the RCCA monitoring sites by summarizing the physical and biological characteristics of each of the sites. These summaries will serve as a reference point in the future as long-term monitoring continues.
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    "title": "Fish Survey - Methods and Sampling Metada",
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    "title": "Invertebrate Survey - Methods and Sampling Metadata",
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    "title": "Final Report Reef Check California: Citizen Scientist monitoring of rocky reefs and kelp forests: Creating a baseline for California's North Coast MPAs",
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    "description": "North coast baseline (phase I) marine protected area (MPA) final report for Reef Check California: Citizen Scientist monitoring of rocky reefs and kelp forests: Creating a baseline for California's North Coast. This project and report were completed in fulfillment of CA Sea Grant R/MPA-34.",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/d41bbe90-ce12-4a13-9929-4eddada8531f/resource/eacffdde-2d49-468d-89d2-fd418e718291/download/34-freiwald-final.pdf"
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]
identifier 3598e86b-3142-448e-92da-c2aa516caad2
issued 2018-01-30T19:30:51.476155
keyword 
                                            [
  "Algae",
  "Baseline",
  "Biota",
  "California",
  "Ecological Data",
  "Environmental",
  "Fishes",
  "Invertebrates",
  "Kelp Forest",
  "MPA",
  "Marine Protected Area",
  "Monitoring",
  "North Coast",
  "Oceans",
  "Rocky Reef",
  "california ocean protection council"
]
license http://www.opendefinition.org/licenses/cc-by
modified 2018-05-15T18:24:55.288889
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "California Ocean Protection Council",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
theme 
                                            [
  "Natural Resources",
  "Water"
]
title Citizen Scientist Monitoring of Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2016

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