SONGS Mitigation Monitoring: Experimental Reef Survey - Benthic Algae, Invertebrate, and Substrate Cover

These data describe annual estimates of the percent cover of benthic macroalgae, sessile macroinvertebrates, and substrate types at an artificial reef (Wheeler North Reef in Orange County, CA) and two natural reference reefs (San Mateo Kelp in Orange County, CA and Barn Kelp in San Diego County, CA).
Data were collected from 2000 to 2004 as part of the experimental phase of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) kelp reef mitigation program.
In the summer of each year, divers identified and recorded species of algae and sessile macroinvertebrates, and substrate types under twenty uniformly placed points within 1 m2 quadrats that were uniformly distributed along fixed transects at each reef.