MARINe/PISCO: Intertidal: MARINe Coastal Biodiversity Surveys: Quadrat Surveys Summarized

• Main Authors: Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINe), Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO), Pete Raimondi
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: PISCO MN
• Subjects: Ocean; Intertidal Processes; Intertidal Zone; Marine Biology; Marine Invertebrates; Marine Plants; Marine Habitat; Biosphere; Aquatic Habitats; Coastal Habitat; Community Survey Data; Intertidal Data; Intertidal Community Survey Data; Intertidal Coastal Biodiversity Survey; SWAT Survey; PISCO; Temperate Rocky Reef; Intertidal; Quadrat Survey; Density; Mobile Invertebrate; Alaska; British Columbia; Canada; Washington; Oregon; California; Baja California; Mexico; Sonora; Baja; Gar’; Pisco; Diablo; Skagway
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.6085/AA/marine_cbs.9.1

This metadata record documents the Quadrat surveys for PISCO intertidal coastal biodiversity surveys. Quadrat sampling consists of recording the number of mobile invertebrate species within thirty-three 0.5m x 0.5m quadrats placed along 11 transects of variable length extending from the upper intertidal to the low intertidal. Intertidal surveys are comprised of four components, all sampled along the same transects: (1) point contact estimates of intertidal cover and substrate characteristics, (2) swath transects to estimate the density of seastars and abalone, (3) quadrat sampling to estimate the density of mobile invertebrates, and (4) topography (elevation relative to mean low low water (mllw)). Intertidal coastal biodiversity surveys are conducted throughout the year at sites ranging from Southeast Alaska to Baja California, Mexico. Selected sites are resampled on a 3-5 year cycle. A site is defined as a contiguous rocky bench of at least 30m. For more information about the data described in this metadata record, please visit pacificrockyintertidal.org.