Research

Rockweeds are often dominant algae in the mid to high intertidal zone, forming a broad, distinctive band. Altering rocky shores by damaging rockweed communities could cause cascading negative effects to other species in this habitat. The goal of UCSC’s rockweed restoration projects is to field test methodologies that could efficiently and effectively lead to recovery of rockweed algae following population declines.

Monitoring the distribution of introduced species is vital to introduced species management and prevention; the more we understand about how non-endemic species spread, the better we will be able to prevent future introductions that could have dramatic ecological and economic consequences.

MARINe long-term monitoring data showing decades of widespread, disease-driven population decline provided strong support for protection of black abalone under the USA Endangered Species Act. To help prevent further loss, MARINe researchers have worked closely with the National Marine Fisheries Service, the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other organizations to identify and respond to additional threats to black abalone, including landslides, debris flows, and oil spills. A response plan for non-oil spill emergency events is now available (please contact pacificr@ucsc.edu if you experience any barriers accessing the referenced protocol). In addition, MARINe researchers at UCSC recently led the first-ever planned translocation of black abalone with the goal of jump-starting local population recovery at a site where no signs of natural recruitment had been observed during 30 years of post-disease crash monitoring.

MARINe Biodiversity Surveys were among the data sources used in the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) designation and planning process to identify important rocky intertidal habitat types, and determine the amount of area needed to ecologically represent each habitat type. A re-sampling procedure and accumulation functions were used to estimate the area required to include 90% of the biodiversity of each habitat type. Long-term datasets such as those collected by the MARINe are crucial for monitoring and assessing effectiveness of MPAs. Thus, where spatial coverage was sparse or absent, additional Long-Term Monitoring and  Biodiversity Survey sites were established in the Central Coast, North Central Coast, South Coast, and North Coast Study Regions as part of the MPA Baseline Program.

Key findings from a recent assessment of rocky intertidal habitats inside vs. outside MPA’s found increased invertebrate species diversity and richness in protected areas compared to reference sites. Some species, such as abalone, were larger on average in MPA’s than in unprotected areas. MPA’s also appear to enhance community stability and resilience to marine heatwaves.

Data from Long-Term Monitoring and Biodiversity Surveys have been used to compare areas within and outside of Areas of Biological Significance (ASBS).  The goals of the studies have ranged from simple assessment of potential impact to baseline characterization of whole regions.  Study areas range from a single ASBS (e.g. Duxbury Reef Area of Special Biological Significance) to ASBS locations at regional scales,  (e.g. North Coast Regional Board, Los Angeles Regional Board, etc.).

Data collected at our Alcatraz Island site in San Francisco Bay were critical in assessing impact due to the Cosco Busan Oil Spill. Using similarity analyses, data were used to compare species composition and abundance pre- and post-spill at Alcatraz against similar comparisons made at non-oiled reference sites within the same biogeographic region.

These comparisons allowed us to conclude that community differences between pre- and post-spill at Alcatraz were substantially different from “expected”, based on the level of variation at reference sites. Rockweed, mussels and other long-lived species were more abundant pre-spill compared to post-spill, and opportunistic and ephemeral species increased post-spill.

In addition, data from Long-Term Monitoring and  Biodiversity Surveys were used in the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process for the Torch – Platform Irene Oil Spill,  Dubai Star San Francisco Bay Spill and Refugio Oil Spill.