Reef Check California has surveyed rocky reefs and kelp forests in southern California since 2006 and has up to nine years of data from the MLPA South Coast Study Region (SCSR). The goal of this baseline monitoring project is to quantify key attributes of species, populations, communities and habitat variables that constitute representative kelp forest ecosystems within and outside of many of the MPAs in the South Coast Study Region. The sampling design, selected response variables (i.e. key species) and analytical approaches are intended to provide scientists, managers, stakeholders and policymakers with a baseline for future assessment of the effectiveness of the SCSR MPAs. Further, the outcomes from this study will also provide recommendations for long-term monitoring metrics and cost-effective survey protocols for the SCSR. Specific objectives are: 1. Provide a quantitative baseline characterization of the rocky reef and kelp forest ecosystem feature inside and outside of MPAs in the SCSR. 2. Provide pre-MPA implementation data and historical context to ongoing data collection by analyzing RCCA’s existing dataset in the context of the new MPAs. 3. Explore the baseline characterizations for potential indicators of the state of the kelp forest ecosystem (i.e. ecosystem indicators) and make recommendations for long-term monitoring. 4. Build capacity for cost-effective, long-term MPA monitoring through the continued involvement of community members in the monitoring of MPAs. 5. Expand existing public online data dissemination and illustration tool (NED) to inform managers, stakeholders, policymakers and the public about the status of the marine environment in the SCSR.

Here we provide one of the first systematic, “snapshot” surveys of the entire North Coast Study Region, from the Oregon border to the headland at Point Arena. Our attempt was to characterize these subtidal rocky reefs both inside of the newly created MPAs throughout the region and at comparable and representative reference areas outside of MPAs. We utilized small (19 and 22 ft) vessels for these surveys since representative reef habitats in this region are often remote and inaccessible from shore. These habitats are better represented in this study relative to those often reported on from the limited beach access surveys confined to small areas by other monitoring efforts. We used SCUBA surveys to measure the physical characteristics of rocky reefs and the relative abundance and sizes of many of the fishes, mobile and sessile invertebrates, and algae at each site. Species abundances were estimated along 30 m long swath surveys that count individuals within a 60 m² area or at predetermined points along a transect using uniform point contact (UPC) methods to estimate the percent cover of colonial and encrusting organisms covering the reefs.

We systematically surveyed 94 of the 122 nearshore rocky reefs in the California south coast study region (SCSR). This synoptic baseline survey was conducted at 75 individual sites in 2011 and 88 sites in 2012. In addition, we incorporate two similar ‘historical’ data sets from 59 sites in 2004 and 79 sites in 2008. From 2011-2012, we surveyed all accessible nearshore rocky reefs found in the SCSR MPAs and determined the appropriateness of references areas for each. This baseline provides, for the first time, a taxonomically exhaustive biogeographic assessment of the nearshore subtidal reefs in the SCSR, improving significantly on our knowledge of the region and incorporating newly established and existing MPAs. Results confirm previously described patterns for subtidal fishes, reflect the physical oceanographic complexities of the Southern California Bight and add new knowledge to biogeographic patterns of algae and invertebrates. The SCSR is characterized by strong environmental gradients, a major defining feature of the SCSR compared to the other California MLPA Study Regions that have relatively more spatially consistent physical environments. These differences are reflected biologically in a high degree of kelp forest community structure across the region. We identified 17 geographically cohesive community clusters, each with distinct fish, invertebrate, and algal assemblages (Figure ES.1). Although kelp forest communities in the SCSR are highly variable, the structure can be related to the sea surface temperature patterns caused by the confluence of the California Current, the Southern California Counter Current and localized upwelling. Benthic habitat structure also varies within the region; the geology and structure of island reefs are functionally different from mainland reefs. Mainland reefs generally are less steep, can be found significantly offshore of the coastline, and have a greater influence of sedimentation moving through the system. With few exceptions, island reefs are generally abrupt, high relief structures, tightly fit to the coastline with less influence of the nearby soft bottom habitat. Ideally, long-term monitoring of MPAs should be distributed across the distinct areas as each is likely to respond differently.

California recently completed the implementation of a large network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) across the state via legislation called the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA). Following implementation of MPAs in each region, the state instigated and funded Phase 1 of a Statewide MPA Monitoring Program which allowed for 2-3 years of baseline ecological monitoring in each region around the time of MPA implementation. Baseline monitoring was intended to provide a benchmark against which future change in MPAs could be evaluated. Importantly, baseline monitoring for many habitats built on existing programs, several of which already had long time-series of monitoring data in and around the MPAs. Building on Phase 1, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) are developing priorities and strategies for Phase 2, statewide long-term monitoring. This study seeks to inform aspects of this long-term monitoring plan by evaluating existing time series and techniques currently being deployed in rocky nearshore ecosystems throughout California. Specifically, we present two studies meant to inform long-term monitoring of MPAs in California: 1) A comparison of two long-term monitoring programs utilizing SCUBA surveys on nearshore rocky reefs and kelp forests, one composed of professional, academic scientists (PISCO - Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans) and the other a citizen-science program utilizing a combination of paid staff and volunteers (RCCA - ReefCheck California). 2) An evaluation of data from multiple monitoring techniques across a large depth gradient to provide information on the latitudinal and depth profile of species likely to be protected by MPAs