UCSB SONGS Mitigation Monitoring: Reef Survey - Benthic Algae and Invertebrate Abundance

These data describe annual estimates of the density of benthic algae and macroinvertebrates 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 identified and counted species of benthic algae and macroinvertebrates in quadrats of varying size that were uniformly distributed along fixed transects at each reef.