Fish benthic trawls were completed by the National Marine Fisheries Service Groundfish Survey Program (NMFS GSP). Data from 477 fishery independent trawls ranging from 55-1200 m in depth were collected June-November in 1977, 1989, 1992, 1995, and 1997- 2002. Fish that were not present in at least 5% of the trawls were removed from this analysis, resulting in a dataset containing information on 59 fish species. Site groups were calculated using the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity coefficient with average means clustering (Romesburg, 1991). Gear included a 7.6-m head-rope semi balloon otter trawl with 1.25 cm codend mesh trawled for 5-10 minutes at each station.

Fish benthic trawls were completed by the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP). Data from 425 fisheries independent trawls ranging from 2-215 meters depth were collected in 1994 and 1998 during the months of June-August. Fish that were not present in at least 5% of the trawls were removed from this analysis. The data set contained information for 150 fish species, but removal of rare species resulted in 48 species. Site groups were calculated using the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity coefficient with average means clustering (Romesburg, 1991). Gear included a 7.6-m head-rope semi balloon otter trawl with 1.25 cm codend mesh trawled for 5-10 minutes at each station. For more information on trawl methods, see Allen et al. (1997), and Allen et al. (2003).

This dataset was provided by the Recreational Fisheries Information Network (RecFIN), and contained GPS coordinates for 680 CPFV trips during 1999 and 2001 at depths ranging from 0 - 2200 m. Fishers targeted specific species during each trip, and visited between 1 and 22 locations. Each trip/location combination was considered a unique site and was used as a sample unit in analyses. RecFIN provided information on four hook and line fishing methods: free drift, stationary drift, anchor, and troll. The trolling trips were removed before analysis because they targeted specific pelagic species and therefore provide limited information about diversity. The final data set analyzed for diversity contained information on 130 fish species at 4085 trip/location combinations. Diversity was calculated for each trip/location using the Shannon Index of diversity. Using ArcGIS, 5 x 5 minute grids were created and mean diversity was calculated for each grid cell containing data.

This is a point file of fish assemblages calculated from diver surveys in kelp forests in Southern California. Visual census data was combined for two separate southern California datasets. The Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) provided information collected at 15 sites, and Vantuna Research Group (VRG) at 29 sites. Visual transect surveys were completed by SCUBA divers along the bottom of the kelp forest. The VRG dataset provided fish counts along 2m x 60m transects which were subsequently averaged for comparison with the PISCO dataset. The PISCO dataset provided mean counts along a 2m x 30m transect which were doubled before combining with the VRG data. Fish that were not present in at least 5% of the trawls were removed from this analysis, resulting in a site by species matrix of 44 sites and 45 species. Site groups were calculated using the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity coefficient with average means clustering

This is a point file of mean fish diversity within 5 minute grid cells. The Shannon Index of diversity was calculated from Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP) fish trawl data. Data from 425 fishery independent trawls ranging from 2-215 meters depth were collected in 1994 and 1998 during the months of June-August. Using ArcGIS, 5 x 5 minute grids were created and mean diversity was calculated for each grid cell containing data. Gear included a 7.6-m head-rope semi balloon otter trawl with 1.25 cm codend mesh trawled for 5-10 minutes at each station. Including all fish identified to the species level resulted in 150 fish species. For more information on trawl methods, see Allen et al. (1997), and Allen et al. (2003).

The Shannon Index of diversity was calculated from National Marine Fisheries Service Groundfish Survey Program (NMFS GSP) fish trawl data. Data from 477 fishery independent trawls ranging from 55-1200 m in depth were collected June-November in 1977, 1989, 1992, 1995, and 1997-2002. Including all fish identified to the species level resulted in 189 fish species. Using ArcGIS, 5 x 5 minute grids were created and mean diversity was calculated for each grid cell containing data. Gear included a nor'eastern trawl (127 mm stretched-mesh body; 89 mm stretched-mesh codend; and 32 mm stretched-mesh codend liner) with a rubber bobbin roller which was trawled for 15-30 minutes on the bottom. Zimmerman's (2003) analysis of benthic species biomass was used to cull out the trawls that did not fish the bottom.

This map shows composite diversity averaged between 4 data sets: RecFIN recreational hook and line, SCCWRP trawls, NMFS benthic trawls, and kelp diver surveys. Diversity (H') was calculated independently for each of the four large datasets on a total of 364 species using the Shannon index of diversity (Shannon and Weaver, 1949). Using ArcGIS, 5 x 5 minute grids were created and mean diversity was calculated for each grid cell containing data. To provide an overall map of diversity, results from the four datasets were combined. To standardize, gridded results from each dataset were divided into quintiles with 5 denoting the greatest diversity and 1 the least diversity. The standardized diversity was averaged where more than one diversity estimate was available for a cell. Standardization re-scales the results from all datasets to the same scale. This process can remove some differences that result from variable collection methods; however, it can also minimize actual differences between habitats.

This is a point file of invertebrate site clusters calculated from benthic trawls completed by the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP). Data from 426 fisheries independent trawls ranging from 2-215 meters depth were collected during the months of June-August. The data set contained information for 288 invertebrate species in 426 trawls, but removal of rare species resulted in 41 species in 401 trawls analyzed for assemblage structure. Gear included a 7.6-m head-rope semi balloon otter trawl with 1.25 cm codend mesh trawled for 5-10 minutes at each station. For more information on trawl methods, see Allen et al. (1997), and Allen et al. (2003). Site groups were calculated using the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity coefficient with average means clustering (Romesburg, 1991). Invertebrates that were not present in at least 5% of the trawls were removed from this analysis.

The National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) updates and revises the management plans for each of its 13 sanctuaries. This process, which is open to the public, enables each site to revisit the reasons for sanctuary designation and assess whether they are meeting their goals, as well as to set new goals consistent with the mandates of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. Issues raised by the public during this process are evaluated and a determination is made as to whether they will be incorporated into the updated plan. Many of these issues focus on topics such as the implementation of marine zoning or sanctuary boundary adjustments, both of which require information on the distribution of resources within and around the sanctuary. Recognizing this, NMSP and NOAA?s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) formalized an agreement to collaborate in the revision process by developing such information through a series of biogeographic assessments conducted in selected sanctuaries. The resulting products are then supplied to sanctuary managers and staff for use in the policy and decision making process. This collaborative effort began along the west coast of the U.S. with the Cordell Bank, Gulf of Farallones, and Monterey Bay national marine sanctuaries, and is herein centered on the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS).

The National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) updates and revises the management plans for each of its 13 sanctuaries. This process, which is open to the public, enables each site to revisit the reasons for sanctuary designation and assess whether they are meeting their goals, as well as to set new goals consistent with the mandates of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act. Issues raised by the public during this process are evaluated and a determination is made as to whether they will be incorporated into the updated plan. Many of these issues focus on topics such as the implementation of marine zoning or sanctuary boundary adjustments, both of which require information on the distribution of resources within and around the sanctuary. Recognizing this, NMSP and NOAA?s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) formalized an agreement to collaborate in the revision process by developing such information through a series of biogeographic assessments conducted in selected sanctuaries. The resulting products are then supplied to sanctuary managers and staff for use in the policy and decision making process. This collaborative effort began along the west coast of the U.S. with the Cordell Bank, Gulf of Farallones, and Monterey Bay national marine sanctuaries, and is herein centered on the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS).