Urchin Barren Characterization Data before Installment of Experimental Pycnopodia Cages in the Sitka Sound during February 2023 (High latitude kelp dynamics project)

Before experimental manipulation with caged Pycnopodia helianthoides presence, we characterized ambient density, gonad index, and size distributions of urchin communities ( Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis and Mesocentrotus franciscanus) in three replicate urchin barrens in Sitka Sound, AK (57°2'1"N 135°15'51"W) from February 11-20, 2023. Via SCUBA we conducted swath surveys where grazers were identified, counted, measured (test diameter), and randomly collected for gonad dissections. These surveys serve as a baseline to describe these sites as true barrens and to compare experimental results to.