Pacific Rocky Intertidal Monitoring: Trends and Synthesis home

Site Pages and Trend Graphs

Long-Term Monitoring sites are typically established in areas where the coastline consists of contiguous rocky reef. These rocky reefs are usually quite broad (typical width between 30-50 m) and long (typical length between 50-500 m). Contiguous rocky reefs are the most stable of rocky intertidal habitats, and targeting a specific habitat type results in higher consistency among sites, which allows for better comparisons among sites and regions. This basic level of consistency in site selection is important, because targeted reefs vary immensely by rock type, shape, rugosity, exposure, surrounding habitat, human visitation levels and other factors, which all contribute to explaining patterns in long-term community dynamics.

Biodiversity Survey sites are located in the same areas as Long-Term sites, or in areas of special interest (e.g. Areas of Special Biological Significance, areas where a disturbance has occurred, remote areas). Sites are typically established in areas where there is at least 30 m of contiguous rocky reef (the length of the baseline transect), but a site can be broken into two smaller sections, or adapted as necessary to fit within the constraints of smaller rocky reefs.

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