Johnsons Lee

Click here for Long-Term trends

Click here for Biodiversity Survey findings

Johnsons Lee is located in the Northern Channel Islands, within the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, on Santa Rosa Island. This site is located in an Area of Special Biological Significance (San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz Islands ASBS) in Channel Islands National Park. The gently sloping site consists of moderately uneven terrain, containing few cracks and folds.

Johnsons Lee is dominated by consolidated sandstone bedrock, and the area surrounding the site is comprised of a mixture of consolidated bedrock, boulder fields, and sandy beach. The sandstone at this site is soft and erodes quickly, and parts of the reef are occasionally subject to inundation by deep sand. The primary coastal orientation of this site is south.

Long-Term Monitoring Surveys at Johnsons Lee were established in 1985, and are done by Channel Islands National Park. Long-Term MARINe surveys currently target the following species: Chthamalus/Balanus (Acorn Barnacles), Mytilus (California Mussel), and Endocladia (Turfweed). In addition, motile invertebrates, mussel size structure, and water temperature are monitored at this site. Click here to view Long-Term trends at this site.

Biodiversity Surveys were done by University of California Santa Cruz in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2017. The Biodiversity Survey grid encompasses one section that is approximately 30 meters (along shore) x 15 meters (seaward). Click here to view Biodiversity Survey findings at this site.

For more information about Johnsons Lee, please contact Stephen Whitaker (stephen_whitaker@nps.gov).