SBC LTER: Reef: Seasonal Kelp Forest Community Dynamics: Cover of sessile organisms, Uniform Point Contact

These data describe the percent cover of sessile invertebrates and understory macroalgae within permanent plots of SBCLTER's seasonal kelp forest monitoring program to track long-term patterns in species abundance and diversity. Percent cover was determined using a uniform point contact method that consists of noting the identity and relative vertical position of all organisms under 80 uniformly placed points located within a 1 m wide band centered on permanent 40 m transects in each sampling plot. Each species may only be recorded once per point. Using this method, the percent cover of all species combined may exceed 100%, however, the maximum percent cover possible for any single species cannot exceed 100%. The experiment was initiated in 2008 at five reef sites along the mainland coast of the Santa Barbara Channel.