Nearshore Fishes Abundance and Distribution Data, California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP)

Data in this collection include the species and quantity of nearshore fishes caught during drifts conducted in and near California Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) between 2007 and 2025. The California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP) initially surveyed four protected areas and four nearby, fished reference areas in central California annually; the program expanded to 15 protected and 16 reference areas statewide in 2017. Data were generated from hook-and-line surveys conducted within 500x500 m grid cells positioned inside protected and reference areas. Each fish caught was identified to the species level whenever possible; otherwise, fish were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level. The number of hours each angler spent fishing during each survey and the length of each fish caught were also recorded, enabling the calculation of biomass, Catch-Per-Unit-Effort (CPUE), and Biomass-Per-Unit-Effort (BPUE). This submission includes two derived data tables, CCFRP_derived_length_table.csv and CCFRP_derived_effort_table.csv, containing the number of fish of each species caught during each survey, their lengths, the total number of angler hours required to catch them, CPUE and BPUE. The R code used to obtain these tables from the raw data files is also included (CCFRP_derived_data_table_code_R.pdf). Raw data files from the CCFRP database used to create the derived data tables are available on the CCFRP GitHub Repository (https://github.com/ccfrp/DataONE-Derived-Data-Table-Code) along with the code used to extract these data. The boundaries for the MPAs referenced in this dataset and information on related long-term California MPA monitoring efforts can be found here: https://opc.dataone.org/view/doi:10.25494/P6V884 The CCFRP aims to develop rigorous survey methods and collect baseline data on the species, size composition and relative abundance of fishes associated with shallow rocky habitats inside proposed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and nearby fished reference areas. These data underpin an ongoing monitoring effort that engages the recreational fishing community to help evaluate changes in the species, size composition and relative abundance of fishes in MPA and reference sites after MPA establishment.