Santa Barbara Channel Marine BON: Nearshore kelp forest integrated benthic cover, 1980-ongoing

The Santa Barbara Channel Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (SBCMBON) tracks long-term patterns in species abundance and diversity. This dataset contains cover of kelp forest sessile invertebrates, understory macroalgae, and substrate types by integrating data from four contributing projects working in the kelp forests of the Santa Barbara Channel, USA. Divers collect data on using either uniform point contact (UPC) or random point contact (RPC) methods. The four contributing projects are two research projects: The Santa Barbara Coastal LTER (SBC LTER) and the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO), the kelp forest monitoring program of the Santa Barbara Channel National Park, and the San Nicolas Island monitoring program supported by USGS. Together, these projects have recorded data for more than 200 species at approximately 100 sites on both the mainland coast and on the Santa Barbara Channel Islands. Sampling began in 1982 and is ongoing. Data were collected by human observation (divers using SCUBA) during regular surveys. Percent cover is recorded for taxa where individuals cannot be counted. Cover can be calculated from the data here as the fraction of total points at which the taxon was present x 100. With UPC and RPC methods, multiple species can be recorded at any given point. The total percent cover of all species combined using this method can exceed 100%; however, the percent cover of any single species cannot exceed 100%. See Methods for information on integration and data processing. MBON is funded by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). For users who are interested in using all or part of this integrated datasets, please contact data owners to discuss your research interests, data-related issues or any other questions. A recommended citation for the data package is available from the download page. In