Beach wrack ecology at Crystal Cove State Park

Our study site was divided as follows: Treasure Cove, Pelican Point, Scotchman’s Cove, Reef Point, and Moro. Each subzone was surveyed at regular intervals once per month. We created five random, five-meter long belts running down towards the water from a main perpendicular 100m primary transect. For each pile within the belts, abundance data was collected by measuring length/width, noting trash and/or oil, and determining which species are present and most abundant. Three representative piles were then split up by species and measured for weight, volume, and desiccation. Using bird identification guides, bird surveys were also conducted to monitor what species and how many were utilizing wrack. Bird abundance and diversity was documented by guild. Data was analyzed utilizing two software programs: RStudio and ArcGIS. Maps were created using GPS data from location collection instruments and data collected from surveys.