Selection Criteria | MARINe

The criteria for selecting target species include the following:

• Species ecologically important in structuring intertidal communities.

• Species that are competitive dominants or major predators.

• Species that are abundant, conspicuous or large.

• Species whose presence provides numerous microhabitats for other organisms.

• Species that are slow growing and long-lived.

• Species that have interesting distributions along California coasts.

• Species found throughout California shores.

• Species characteristic of discrete intertidal heights.

• Species that are rare, unique, or found only in a particular intertidal habitat.

• Species approaching their biogeographic limits in California.

• Species that have been well studied, with extensive literature available.

• Species of special human interest.

• Species vulnerable and/or sensitive to human impacts, especially from oil spills.

• Species with special legal status.

• Introduced or invasive species.

• Species harvested by sport or commercial activities.

• Practical species for long-term monitoring.

• Readily identifiable species.

• Sessile or sedentary species of reasonable size.

• Non-cryptic species.

• Species located high enough in the intertidal to permit sufficient time to sample.