Mussel Bed Data

The North Coast region's rocky intertidal habitat is home to an exceptional diversity of algae and invertebrates. The main objective of this project is to produce a baseline characterization of this important ecosystem in the region and compare sites inside and outside of MPAs. Researchers will document abundance, and distribution of invertebrates and algae, and will describe the rocky habitat (e.g., rock type and surface roughness). In addition, this project will generate a fish biodiversity baseline and monitor rockfish recruitment. Newly collected data will be analyzed in conjunction with existing Partnerships for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) data to identify potential indicator species of ecosystem health. This project is a collaboration among academic scientists and North Coast tribes. This package contains data on Motile Invertebrate size counts sampled within established plots of Mytilus californianus.