SBC LTER: Reef: Kelp Forest Community Dynamics: Fish abundance (Reformatted to the ecocomDP Design Pattern)

This data package is formatted as an ecocomDP (Ecological Community Data Pattern). For more information on ecocomDP see https://github.com/EDIorg/ecocomDP. This Level 1 data package was derived from the Level 0 data package found here: https://pasta.lternet.edu/package/metadata/eml/knb-lter-sbc/17/35. The abstract below was extracted from the Level 0 data package and is included for context: These data describe the abundance and size of fish species as part of SBCLTER's kelp forest monitoring program to track long-term patterns in species abundance and diversity. This study began in 2000 in the Santa Barbara Channel, California, USA. The abundance and size of all taxa of resident kelp forest fish encountered along permanent transects are recorded at nine reef sites located along the mainland coast of the Santa Barbara Channel and at two sites on the north side of Santa Cruz Island. These sites reflect several oceanographic regimes in the channel and vary in distance from sources of terrestrial runoff. In these surveys, fish were counted in either a 40x2m benthic quadrat, or in the water parcel 0-2m off the bottom over the same area. The two tables in this data package include: 1) The annual benthic fish community survey which was conducted on 11 reefs once a year around late July or early August; and 2) The monthly fish survey which was conducted once a month at a subset of the sites (3 of the annual sites) The time period of data collection for the annual benthic fish community survey varied among the 11 kelp forest sites. Sampling at BULL, CARP, and NAPL began in 2000, sampling at the other 6 mainland sites (AHND, AQUE, IVEE, GOLB, ABUR, MOHK) began in 2001 (transects 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 at IVEE were added in 2011). Data collection at the two Santa Cruz Island sites (SCTW and SCDI) began in 2004. The monthly fish survey at ABUR (Transect 1, 2, and 3), AQUE (Transect1), and MOHK (Transect 1) in 2002. The Transect 2 and 3 at ABUR were discontinued in June 2006. See Methods for more information. The primary research objective of the Santa Barbara Coastal LTER is to investigate the importance of land and ocean processes in structuring giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera ) forest ecosystems. As in many temperate regions, the shallow rocky reefs in the Santa Barbara Channel, California, are dominated by giant kelp forests. Because of their close proximity to shore, kelp forests are influenced by physical and biological processes occurring on land as well as in the open ocean. SBC LTER research focuses on measuring and modeling the patterns, transport, and processing of material constituents (e.g., nutrients, carbon, sediment, organisms, and pollutants) from terrestrial watersheds and the coastal ocean to these reefs. Specifically, we are examining the effects of these material inputs on the primary production of kelp, and the population dynamics, community structure, and trophic interactions of kelp forest ecosystems.