SBC LTER: Santa Cruz Island: Cover of Algae, Invertebrates and Benthic Substrate

These data describe the cover of benthic substrate as determined by a random point contact method. The presence of algae and invertebrate species as well as abiotic substrates are recorded at 80 randomly spaced points along 40 m x 2 m transects. Only one substrate type is recorded at a given point. Percent cover of a given substrate on a transect can be estimated from RPC observations as the fraction of total points at which that substrate was present x 100. These data are part of a long term investigation of temporal patterns in reef community composition. The sampling locations in this dataset include eleven sites along the north shore of Santa Cruz Island. Data collection began in 1982 and this dataset is updated annually.