Replication data for: 2007 intertidal biodiversity survey of Wizard Islet conducted by the Coastal Biodiversity and Conservation Class

In 1997 the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre established a long-term monitoring project to collect baseline data on the distribution and abundance of macroorganisms at two intertidal sites on Wizard Islet in Barkley Sound. Both sites were resampled in 2001, and the exposed site was resampled in 2002 and 2003. In 2007, both sites were sampled again, and data is presented here for algal cover (%), sessile invertebrates cover (%) and invertebrates density. <p/> Wizard Islet (48°51’29.5”N, 125°09’31”W) is located within the Deer Group Islands in Barkley Sound and has an area of 1.73 hectares at low tide. The sheltered site (with less wave exposure) is located on a 50m stretch of fixed rocky shore on the northeast side and is characterized by Fucus and Phyllospadix (seagrass). The exposed site is located on a 50m stretch of fixed rocky shore on the southwest side and is characterized by Egregia (feather-boa kelp), goose-necked barnacles and Alaria (brown alga). <p/> Vertical transects were randomly selected; 17 on the sheltered site (tag numbers 5, 13, 20, 21, 26, 28, 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 38, 42, 44, 45, 46, 48) and 15 on the exposed site (tag numbers 1, 3, 6, 10, 12, 13, 17, 23, 25, 27, 29, 33, 41, 42, 46). <p/> Sampling was done at tidal heights of 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 and 3.5m. Quadrats of 25x25cm were used to estimate algal cover, sessile invertebrate cover, and invertebrate density. Quadrats of 50x50cm were used to sample invertebrates in the class Polyplacophora and phylum Echinodermata. <p/> Data was collected by students in the Coastal Biodiversity and Conservation course taught by Dr. Tom Herman and Dr. Barb Beasley with Teaching Assistant Ben Starkhouse July 23-Aug 31, 2007.