These data represent density per square meter calculated from counts of fin fish made by divers on fixed transects on permanent subtidal monitoring sites around San Nicolas Island between 1981 and 2019. Fish were counted on seven sites, each of which had five midwater and five benthic fish transects. Six of the sites were first sampled in 1980, one additional was added in 1987. The sites have usually been monitored twice per year, most often in October and April. The midwater and bottom portions of each transect were sampled separately. Midwater transects were 50 m long by 5 m wide and encompassed the entire water column except the bottom 2 m (250 square meters). Bottom transects were 50 m long by 2 m wide and included only the bottom 2 m of the water column (100 square meters). The list of species counted was expanded over time as new species were encountered and the data here include all 66 species counted.

The data represent counts of individuals of a suite of kelp and macroinvertebrate species on fixed 10-meter by 2-meter benthic transects on permanent subtidal monitoring sites around San Nicolas Island between 1980 and 2018. There were six sites, each of which had five 20 square meter band transects. The sites were usually monitored twice per year, most often in October and April. The species list is as follows: Stephanocystis osmundacea (formerly Cystoseira osmundacea), Laminaria spp., Eisenia arborea, Pterygophora californica, Macrocystis pyrifera greater than 1 m tall, Macrocystis pyrifera less than 1 m tall, Juvenile Laminariales (genus uncertain), Mesocentrotus franciscanus (formerly Strongylocentrotus franciscanus), Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, Patiria miniata, Dermasterias imbricata, Pisaster giganteus, Pycnopodia helianthoides, Megastraea undosa.

These data represent counts of individuals of a suite of species counted in fixed 1-meter benthic quadrats on permanent subtidal monitoring sites around San Nicolas Island between 2014 and 2019. There are a total of nine sites, each of which has ten 1-meter square quadrats. These are the same quadrats used to asses benthic cover by point contact (see "San Nicolas Island benthic quadrat cover 1980-2019"). These counts began in 2014 and are supplemental to the counts made on 10 m x 2 m transects presented as densities in "San Nicolas Island benthic transect densities 1980-2019". The sites have usually been monitored twice per year, most often in October and April. The target species list is as follows: Styela montereyensis Tethya aurantia (also known as Tethya auantium and Tethya californiana) Tealia lofotensis (also known as Urticina eques) Cypraea spadicea (also known as Neobernaya spadicea) Lithopoma gibberosa (also known as Pomaulax gibberosus) Kelletia kelletii Tegula regina Norrisia norrisi Sargassum horneri

These data represent holdfast diameters of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) that were greater than one meter tall and were on fixed 10-meter by 2-meter benthic transects on permanent subtidal monitoring sites around San Nicolas Island between 1980 and 2019. The number of stipes counted on the plants is also listed if recorded. Holdfast diameters give an indication of the M. pyrifera age structure because the holdfast continues to grow throughout the life of the alga. Stipe counts are more variable with age but give an indication of algal biomass. Stipe counts were made on some transects beginning in 1997 and on all plants beginning in 2014. Between 1980 and 2006, 3694 of the plants were tagged and followed over time. Tagged plants have been assigned unique identifier numbers so they can be tracked over multiple sampling periods. There are a total of nine sites, each of which has five 20 square meter band transects. Six of the sites were first sampled in 1980, one additional was added in 1987, and the other two were added in 2014. The sites have usually been monitored twice per year, most often in October and April.

This map displays fish biomass observation locations overlaid on bathymetry

This part of DS 781 presents benthic biological observations of the California coast in support of the California Seafloor Mapping Project. A shapefile and corresponding comma-delimited text file are included in "Benthic_Biological_Interpretation.zip," which is accessible from https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/781/video_observations/data_catalog_video_observations.html.

These data represent benthic habitats in a coastal area near Green Bay, Wisconsin. The area extends approximately 91 kilometers between Suamico, Wisconsin, and Menominee, Michigan, and covers approximately 64 square kilometers. Benthic biota and substrates were classified using the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS). The classification process involved object-based image segmentation of lidar bathymetry, cross-referencing geospatial data with the CMECS hierarchy, and expert interpretation. Biotic and substrate components were classified to the CMECS group or community level, with additional detail provided by co-occurring elements and modifiers. Mapping confidence was higher in areas with Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), as geomorphometric details from digital elevation models could often be directly linked to substrate types through professional geologic judgment. In areas lacking DEM coverage, object-based segmentation was not possible, leading to lower confidence and requiring manual interpretation of substrate and biotic data from available source and ancillary data. In some instances, with support from geologic judgment or imagery, CMECS Substrate Component classifications at DEM boundaries were linearly extrapolated across gaps in DEM coverage. The layers available within the data download include biotic, confidence, and substrate. Partners: Coastal States Organization

This map displays fish biomass observation locations overlaid on bathymetry.

These data provide a baseline inventory of submerged aquatic vegetation within Long Island's South Shore bays. The data were derived from conventional-color metric film diapositives obtained in June 2002 from the New York Department of State's Division of Coastal Resources. Benthic classifications follow the System for Classification of Habitats in Estuarine and Marine Environments (SCHEME). The study area spans approximately 443 square kilometers, extending from the west end of Long Beach Island in Nassau County eastward to Heady Creek at the east end of Shinnecock Bay in Suffolk County. The creation of this baseline inventory was a critical need identified in the Comprehensive Management Plan for the Long Island South Shore Estuary Reserve. Established following the state legislature's passage of the Long Island South Shore Estuary Reserve Act in 1993, the management plan aimed to protect and improve the estuary's ecosystem, enhance public access, and support sustainable economic activities. Ultimately, the goal was to sustain existing high-quality habitats and restore degraded areas to support the productivity of commercially and ecologically important estuarine species. The management plan also mandated a long-term monitoring program to evaluate progress toward estuarine resource improvement goals, building upon this foundational benthic habitat data. The layers available within the data download include biotic, geoform, and substrate. Partners: New York Department of State's Division of Coastal Resources

Four data sets are included here to aid in assessing the influence of substrate complexity on kelp forest ecosystem stability. One data set consists of counts of a suite of kelps and benthic invertebrates on permanent band transects (swaths) at six long-term monitoring sites from 1980-2018. A second data set consists of total counts of adult California sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher), an important sea urchin predator, on these sites from 1981-2018. The third data set gives an index of the relative substrate rugosity in the form of replicate distances along the bottom profile of each permanent swath. Finally, bottom temperatures recorded from 2015-2019 show the relatively homogenous water mass that encompasses all the sites.