SBC LTER: Reef: Seasonal Kelp Forest Community Dynamics: Cover of sessile organisms, Uniform Point Contact

These data describe the percent cover of sessile invertebrates and
understory macroalgae within permanent plots of SBCLTER's seasonal
kelp forest monitoring program to track long-term patterns in
species abundance and diversity. Percent cover was determined
using a uniform point contact method that consists of noting the
identity and relative vertical position of all organisms under 80
uniformly placed points located within a 1 m wide band centered on
permanent 40 m transects in each sampling plot. Each species may
only be recorded once per point. Using this method, the percent
cover of all species combined may exceed 100%, however, the
maximum percent cover possible for any single species cannot
exceed 100%. The experiment was initiated in 2008 at five reef
sites along the mainland coast of the Santa Barbara Channel.