SBC LTER Darwin Core Archive: Kelp Forest Reef Fish Abundance
Citation
NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System: SBC LTER Darwin Core Archive: Kelp Forest Reef Fish Abundance https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/d302929b97723a1425364e1a19efbf55 accessed via GBIF.org on 2025-06-17.Description
These data describe the abundance of reef fish as part of the Santa Barbara Coastal LTER program (SBC LTER) to track long-term patterns in kelp forest reef species abundance and diversity. The study began in 2000 in the Santa Barbara Channel, California, USA, and the time series is ongoing and updated approximately annually.
Abundances of all taxa of resident kelp forest fish encountered along permanent transects are recorded at nine reef sites located along the mainland coast of the Santa Barbara Channel and at two sites on the north side of Santa Cruz Island. These sites reflect several oceanographic regimes in the channel and vary in distance from sources of terrestrial runoff. In these surveys, fish were counted in either a 40x2m benthic quadrat, or in the water parcel 0-2m off the bottom over the same area.
This dataset is formatted as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A, occurrence core). All taxa are counted (using an open species list), and abundances are zero-filled for each taxon not encountered. This is a derived data product and less-processed data may be available. See for more information and source data, which may include additional measurements, and for processing notes.
Sampling Description
Method steps
- One of the main strengths of the long term ecological research program is that it allows us to evaluate changes in the ecological community against the background of natural long-term variability. This long-term context is particularly important when we seek to distinguish between changes caused by natural processes and those caused by human activities. SBC LTER has undertaken long-term measurements of the abundance of reef algae, invertebrates and fish within permanent transects at 11 kelp forest sites in the Santa Barbara Channel. These data represent one of the core research activities of SBC LTER and they provide a relatively comprehensive description of community structure and dynamics of kelp forest communities within our study region.
- The number, size and species identity of reef fish are recorded within a 2 m wide swath centered along each transect extending 2 m off the bottom. See the protocol document for more information
Additional info
marine, harvest by iOBISTaxonomic Coverages
Geographic Coverages
Bibliographic Citations
Contacts
Robert Milleroriginator
position: Principal Investigator
SBC MBON
University of California
Santa Barbara
93106-6150
California
US
Telephone: 805 893 6174
email: miller@msi.ucsb.edu
homepage: http://sbc.marinebon.org
Daniel C Reed
originator
position: Co-Principal Investigator
UC Santa Barbara Marine Science Institute
email: dan.reed@lifesci.ucsb.edu
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3015-8717
Margaret O'Brien
metadata author
position: Information Manager
SBC MBON
email: margaret.obrien@ucsb.edu
Mathew Biddle
distributor
position: Physical Scientist
United States Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (US MBON)
1315 East-West Highway
Silver Spring
20910
MD
US
Telephone: 3017134928
email: mathew.biddle@noaa.gov
homepage: https://ioos.noaa.gov/
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4897-1669
Robert Miller
administrative point of contact
position: Principal Investigator
SBC MBON
University of California
Santa Barbara
93106-6150
California
US
Telephone: 805 893 6174
email: miller@msi.ucsb.edu
homepage: http://sbc.marinebon.org