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Nearshore Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2015

Published by California Ocean Protection Council | State of California | Metadata Last Checked: July 29, 2025 | Last Modified: 2018-02-06T20:50:11.052805
Here we provide one of the first systematic, “snapshot” surveys of the entire North Coast Study Region, from the Oregon border to the headland at Point Arena. Our attempt was to characterize these subtidal rocky reefs both inside of the newly created MPAs throughout the region and at comparable and representative reference areas outside of MPAs. We utilized small (19 and 22 ft) vessels for these surveys since representative reef habitats in this region are often remote and inaccessible from shore. These habitats are better represented in this study relative to those often reported on from the limited beach access surveys confined to small areas by other monitoring efforts. We used SCUBA surveys to measure the physical characteristics of rocky reefs and the relative abundance and sizes of many of the fishes, mobile and sessile invertebrates, and algae at each site. Species abundances were estimated along 30 m long swath surveys that count individuals within a 60 m² area or at predetermined points along a transect using uniform point contact (UPC) methods to estimate the percent cover of colonial and encrusting organisms covering the reefs.

Resources

29 resources available

  • MPA Boundary Details - North Coast - Metadata

    CSV
    Download

  • Fish Survey - Data Table 2014 - 2015

    CSV
    Download

  • MPA Baseline Program Information - North Coast - Metadata

    CSV
    Download

  • Invertebrate Survey - Data Table 2014 - 2015

    CSV
    Download

  • Urchin Sizing - Data Table 2016

    CSV
    Download

  • MPA Boundary Details - North Coast

    CSV
    Download

  • MPA Baseline Program Information - North Coast

    CSV
    Download

  • Species Lookup Table

    CSV
    Download

  • Site Lookup Table

    CSV
    Download

  • Fish Sizing - Data Table 2014 - 2015

    CSV
    Download

  • Uniform Point Contact - Data Table 2014 - 2015

    CSV
    Download

  • Full Data Package for Nearshore Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2015 dataset

    ZIP
    Download

  • Fish Sizing - Data Table 2014 - 2015 - Metadata

    XML
    Download

  • Fish Survey - Data Table 2014 - 2015 - Metadata

    XML
    Download

  • Invertebrate Survey - Data Table 2014 - 2015 - Metadata

    XML
    Download

  • Site Lookup Table - Metadata

    XML
    Download

  • Species Lookup Table - Metadata

    XML
    Download

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

    XML
    Download

  • Urchin Sizing - Data Table 2016 - Metadata

    XML
    Download

  • Uniform Point Contact - Metadata

    XML
    Download

  • Fish Sizing - Metadata

    XML
    Download

  • Invertebrate Survey - Metadata

    XML
    Download

  • Urchin Sizing - Metadata

    XML
    Download

  • Uniform Point Contact - Methods and Sampling Metata

    PDF
    Download

  • Urchin Sizing - Methods and Sampling Metadata

    PDF
    Download

  • Fish Sizing - Methods and Sampling Metadata

    PDF
    Download

  • Fish Survey - Methods and Sampling Metadata

    PDF
    Download

  • Invertebrate Survey - Methods and Sampling Metadata

    PDF
    Download

  • Final Report Baseline Monitoring of Rocky Reef And Kelp Forest Habitats of the North Coast Study Region

    PDF
    Download

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Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel public
contactPoint 
                                            {
  "fn": "Sean Craig",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:sfc4@humboldt.edu"
}
description Here we provide one of the first systematic, “snapshot” surveys of the entire North Coast Study Region, from the Oregon border to the headland at Point Arena. Our attempt was to characterize these subtidal rocky reefs both inside of the newly created MPAs throughout the region and at comparable and representative reference areas outside of MPAs. We utilized small (19 and 22 ft) vessels for these surveys since representative reef habitats in this region are often remote and inaccessible from shore. These habitats are better represented in this study relative to those often reported on from the limited beach access surveys confined to small areas by other monitoring efforts. We used SCUBA surveys to measure the physical characteristics of rocky reefs and the relative abundance and sizes of many of the fishes, mobile and sessile invertebrates, and algae at each site. Species abundances were estimated along 30 m long swath surveys that count individuals within a 60 m² area or at predetermined points along a transect using uniform point contact (UPC) methods to estimate the percent cover of colonial and encrusting organisms covering the reefs.
distribution 
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    "description": "This table contains the fish survey data from Nearshore Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2015",
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    "description": "Urchin size frequency data table.",
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    "title": "Species Lookup Table",
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    "description": "This table contains all species recorded in the Nearshore Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2015 dataset",
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    "title": "Fish Sizing - Data Table 2014 - 2015",
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    "description": "This table contains the fish sizing data from Nearshore Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2015",
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    "title": "Uniform Point Contact - Data Table 2014 - 2015",
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    "describedBy": "https://data.ca.gov/api/action/datastore_search?resource_id=ceea5456-3388-4f91-859f-c086421f6f7c&limit=0",
    "description": "This table contains the Uniform Point Contact (UPC) survey data from Nearshore Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2015",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/179e6613-2e88-4c76-8329-7f10c323635e/resource/0a7dacaa-ce6d-4c21-a95d-13a5bd80b1ce/download/nckelpsrockupc.csv",
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    "title": "Full Data Package for Nearshore Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2015 dataset",
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    "description": "Data dictionary for Fish Sizing - Data Table 2014 - 2015",
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    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Invertebrate Survey - Data Table 2014 - 2015 - Metadata",
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    "description": "Data dictionary for Invertebrate Survey - Data Table 2014 - 2015",
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    "title": "Site Lookup Table - Metadata",
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    "mediaType": "application/xml",
    "description": "Data dictionary for Site Lookup Table",
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    "format": "XML",
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    "description": "Data dictionary for Uniform Point Contact - Data Table 2014 - 2015",
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    "title": "Urchin Sizing - Data Table 2016 - Metadata",
    "format": "XML",
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    "description": "Data dictionary for Urchin Sizing - Data Table",
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  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Uniform Point Contact - Metadata",
    "format": "XML",
    "mediaType": "application/xml",
    "description": "EML metadata for the Uniform Point Contact (UPC) survey component of the Nearshore Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2015",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/179e6613-2e88-4c76-8329-7f10c323635e/resource/f4168ce4-a529-4aeb-98ce-a9c425b35143/download/eml-node-3205.xml"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Fish Sizing - Metadata",
    "format": "XML",
    "mediaType": "application/xml",
    "description": "EML metadata for the fish sizing component of Nearshore Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2015",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/179e6613-2e88-4c76-8329-7f10c323635e/resource/775f5cc0-b330-4f30-82f5-d56bd9b5b537/download/eml-node-3208.xml"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Invertebrate Survey - Metadata",
    "format": "XML",
    "mediaType": "application/xml",
    "description": "EML metadata for the invertebrate survey component of the Nearshore Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2015",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/179e6613-2e88-4c76-8329-7f10c323635e/resource/b27dd9b1-dc1b-4d13-9121-0db26ebaaf5e/download/eml-node-3207.xml"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Urchin Sizing - Metadata",
    "format": "XML",
    "mediaType": "application/xml",
    "description": "EML metadata for the urchin sizing component of the Nearshore Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2015 dataset",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/179e6613-2e88-4c76-8329-7f10c323635e/resource/fd8d6e92-e055-4b7b-8d92-fdd37ff53e03/download/eml-node-3217.xml"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Uniform Point Contact - Methods and Sampling Metata",
    "format": "PDF",
    "mediaType": "application/pdf",
    "description": "Metadata for Uniform Point Contact (UPC) survey sampling methods",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/179e6613-2e88-4c76-8329-7f10c323635e/resource/8558d99d-e8b4-4578-8ecb-2aa26f73b68e/download/methodsandsamplingmetadatancsubtidalprotocols.pdf"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Urchin Sizing - Methods and Sampling Metadata",
    "format": "PDF",
    "mediaType": "application/pdf",
    "description": "Metadata for commercial urchin sizing methods.",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/179e6613-2e88-4c76-8329-7f10c323635e/resource/528aae1b-b934-4594-b946-c4fb29c8889d/download/methodsandsamplingmetadatancsubtidalprotocols.pdf"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Fish Sizing - Methods and Sampling Metadata",
    "format": "PDF",
    "mediaType": "application/pdf",
    "description": "Metadata for fish sizing methods",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/179e6613-2e88-4c76-8329-7f10c323635e/resource/612720ec-3d2d-409e-bb8a-77b1288ead68/download/methodsandsamplingmetadatancsubtidalprotocols.pdf"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Fish Survey - Methods and Sampling Metadata",
    "format": "PDF",
    "mediaType": "application/pdf",
    "description": "Metadata for fish survey methods

 PDF",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/179e6613-2e88-4c76-8329-7f10c323635e/resource/bb7fec69-463a-4ae0-bd09-a2095524ac3e/download/methodsandsamplingmetadatancsubtidalprotocols.pdf"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Invertebrate Survey - Methods and Sampling Metadata",
    "format": "PDF",
    "mediaType": "application/pdf",
    "description": "Metadata for invertebrate survey sampling methods",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/179e6613-2e88-4c76-8329-7f10c323635e/resource/7ce4e409-3091-46f7-be10-ed769eb2e42a/download/methodsandsamplingmetadatancsubtidalprotocols.pdf"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Final Report Baseline Monitoring of Rocky Reef And Kelp Forest Habitats of the North Coast Study Region",
    "format": "PDF",
    "mediaType": "application/pdf",
    "description": "North coast baseline (phase I) marine protected area (MPA) final report for Nearshore Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2015 dataset. This project and report were completed in fulfillment of CA Sea Grant R/MPA-32.",
    "downloadURL": "https://data.cnra.ca.gov/dataset/179e6613-2e88-4c76-8329-7f10c323635e/resource/44aeda0a-c031-40f7-9eff-d191109f4cc1/download/32-craig-final.pdf"
  }
]
identifier d7be49c4-8661-4678-8b8d-f620a39ca2d1
issued 2018-02-06T20:03:59.607397
keyword 
                                            [
  "2014",
  "2015",
  "Baseline",
  "Biota",
  "California",
  "Collaborative Fisheries",
  "Ecological Data",
  "Environmental",
  "Fishes",
  "Invertebrates",
  "Kelp Forests",
  "MPA",
  "Marine Protected Area",
  "Monitoring",
  "Nearshore Rocky Reefs",
  "North Coast",
  "Oceans",
  "california ocean protection council"
]
license http://www.opendefinition.org/licenses/cc-by
modified 2018-02-06T20:50:11.052805
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "California Ocean Protection Council",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
theme 
                                            [
  "Natural Resources",
  "Water"
]
title Nearshore Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2015

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