PISCO: Subtidal: Community Surveys: Fish Survey

This metadata record documents the fish surveys for PISCO
subtidal community surveys.
Fish sampling consists of recording the number and size of all
non-cryptic fishes on "transects". At each sampling location
"bottom," "mid-water," and "canopy"
transects are surveyed. Dimensions for all transects are 2m x 2m x 30m.
Subtidal community structure surveys are conducted annually at all sites
during the summer or early fall, and quantify substrate type and relief,
benthic cover, abundance of major groups of macroalgae and invertebrates,
and abundance and size of fishes. Spatial allocation of sampling is
designed to measure year-to-year site-wide variability in community
structure and the spatial scales at which such variation occurs. A site
is defined as a fixed stretch of coastline, occupying approximately
500m. Originally, each site was divided into 2 halves (sides), each comprised of
12 transects stratified across the four zones described above.
Starting in 2007, many new sites were added for monitoring MPAs established
by the MLPA along the coast of central California. These MLPA sites are
equivalent of one "side" of the orignal PISCO sites (i.e. 12 transects).

本元数据记录用于说明PISCO潮下带群落调查中的鱼类采样工作。
鱼类采样工作通过在样带（transect）上记录所有非隐蔽性鱼类的数量与体型尺寸完成。每个采样点位均布设并调查底栖（bottom）、中层（mid-water）与冠层（canopy）三类样带。所有样带的规格均为2米×2米×30米。
潮下带群落结构调查于每年夏季或初秋在所有点位开展，调查内容涵盖底质类型与地形起伏度、底栖生物覆盖度、大型藻类与无脊椎动物主要类群的丰度，以及鱼类的丰度与体型尺寸。
采样的空间布设方案旨在量化群落结构在点位尺度上的年际变化特征，以及此类变化发生的空间尺度范围。
调查点位被定义为一段长约500米的固定岸段。最初，每个点位被划分为2个半段（侧区），每个侧区包含12条按上述四类分区分层布设的样带。
2007年起，为监测加州中部沿岸由海洋生物保护法（Marine Life Protection Act, MLPA）设立的海洋保护区（Marine Protected Area, MPA），项目新增了大量调查点位。此类MLPA调查点位的规模等同于原始PISCO点位的单个侧区（即包含12条样带）。