UCSB SONGS Mitigation Monitoring: Reef Survey - Kelp Size and Abundance

These data describe annual estimates of the size and abundance of giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, at three subtidal reefs collected as part of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) Mitigation Monitoring Program.
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).
In the summer of each year, divers counted the number of fronds > 1 m tall on each giant kelp plant encountered in 20 m2 quadrats uniformly distributed along five fixed transects at each reef.