UCSB SONGS Mitigation Monitoring: Reef Performance Standard - Fish Abundance and Richness

These data describe annual estimates of the density and species richness (evaluated as species density) of young-of-year (less than 1 year old) and resident (greater than 1 year old) reef fish from replicate transects at three subtidal reefs.
Data collection began in 2009 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) to evaluate the ability of Wheeler North Reef to compensate for losses of kelp forest habitat and associated biota caused by the operation of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS).