To characterize the fish communities associated with nearshore rocky reef habitat, we collaborated with commercial passenger fishing vessel (CPFV) captains and volunteer anglers to conduct hook-and-line surveys in four pairs of MPA and reference sites. Sampling was conducted with scientific crews of six: four anglers, a sampler who handled, measured, and tagged fish, and a data recorder. Each of the four anglers used a different combination of baited or un-baited lures that represented gear frequently used by recreational anglers to catch the target species. Sites were sampled by fishing for 45 minutes in each of four, 500 meter by 500 meter sampling cells, which were randomly selected from a set of cells that covered bottom areas containing at least 20 percent rocky reef habitat, by area. Captains were directed to drift within the cells over areas of rocky habitat for a maximum of 15 minutes per drift, so that at least three areas of habitat within each cell would be sampled. Captured fish were identified to species, measured to the nearest millimeter in fork length, tagged with an external t-bar anchor tag, and returned to the water, using a descending device if needed. Each site was sampled five times, three from June-October 2014, and twice from May-August 2015.

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.