Kelp Forest Monitoring 2002 Annual Report
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KELP FOREST MONITORING ANNUAL REPORT 2002 CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK Kelp Forest Monitoring 2002 Annual Report National Park Service Channel Islands National Park Technical Report CHIS-07-01 KELP FOREST MONITORING 2002 ANNUAL REPORT David J. Kushner Paula Rich and Derek Lerma Channel Islands National Park 1901 Spinnaker Drive Ventura, California 93001 Technical Report CHIS-07-01 1 Kelp Forest Monitoring 2002 Annual Report Table of Contents ABSTRACT ..............................................................................................................................................................4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.........................................................................................................................................5 INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................................................7 METHODS................................................................................................................................................................8 STATION RESULTS................................................................................................................................................9 Location: Wycoff Ledge, San Miguel Island ........................................................................................... 10 Location: Hare Rock, San Miguel Island ................................................................................................ 11 Location: Miracle Mile, San Miguel Island.............................................................................................. 13 Location: Johnson’s Lee North, Santa Rosa Island ............................................................................... 14 Location: Johnson’s Lee South, Santa Rosa Island .............................................................................. 16 Location: Rodes Reef, Santa Rosa Island ............................................................................................. 18 Location: Gull Island South, Santa Cruz Island...................................................................................... 19 Location: Fry’s Harbor, Santa Cruz Island ............................................................................................. 21 Location: Pelican Bay, Santa Cruz Island .............................................................................................. 23 Location: Scorpion Anchorage, Santa Cruz Island ................................................................................ 25 Location: Yellow Banks, Santa Cruz Island ........................................................................................... 27 Location: Admirals Reef, Anacapa Island .............................................................................................. 29 Location: Cathedral Cove, Anacapa Island............................................................................................ 31 Location: Landing Cove, Anacapa Island............................................................................................... 33 Location: Southeast Sea Lion Rookery, Santa Barbara Island.............................................................. 35 Location: Arch Point, Santa Barbara Island ........................................................................................... 37 Location: Cat Canyon, Santa Barbara Island......................................................................................... 39 DISCUSSION .........................................................................................................................................................42 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .....................................................................................................................................49 LITERATURE CITED:............................................................................................................................................50 Technical Report CHIS-07-01 2 Kelp Forest Monitoring 2002 Annual Report List of Tables Table 1. Regularly monitored species by taxonomic grouping, common name, scientific name and associated monitoring technique....................................................................................................................52 Table 2. Station Information. ...................................................................................................................................53 Table 3. Summary of sampling techniques used to monitor population dynamics of selected kelp forest taxa. ....................................................................................................................................................................55 Table 4. 2002 Kelp forest monitoring site status..................................................................................................55 Table 5. 2002 Kelp Forest Monitoring Program participant and cruise list. .....................................................57 Table 6. 2002 Echinoderm wasting disease/syndrome observations...............................................................58 List of Figures Figure 1. Kelp Forest Monitoring Locations at Channel Islands National Park. ......................................... 59 Appendices Appendix A. Quadrat Data A1 Appendix B. 5m2-Quadrat Data B1 Appendix C. Band Transect Data C1 Appendix D. Random Point Contact Data D1 Appendix E. Fish Transect Data E1 Appendix F. Roving Diver Fish Count Data F1 Appendix G. Natural Habitat Size Frequency Distributions G1 Appendix H. Macrocystis pyrifera Size Frequency Distributions H1 Appendix I. Gorgonian/Stylaster (Allopora) californica Size Frequency Distributions I1 Appendix J. Artifical Recruitment Modules Size Frequency Distributions J1 Appendix K. 2002 Species Lists for all Kelp Forest Monitoring Sites K1 Appendix L. 2002 Temperature Data L1 Technical Report CHIS-07-01 3 Kelp Forest Monitoring 2002 Annual Report ABSTRACT Observations and results of the 2002 Channel Islands National Park, Kelp Forest Monitoring Program are described. Population dynamics of 68 taxa, or categories, of algae, fish and invertebrates were measured at 16 permanent sites around the five Park islands. Survey techniques utilized SCUBA and surface-supplied-air, and included quadrats, 5m2-quadrats, band transects, random point contacts, fish transects, roving diver fish counts, video transects, size frequency measurements, artificial recruitment modules, and species list surveys. Temperature data were collected using remote temperature loggers. In 2002, six sites had Macrocystis pyrifera (giant kelp) forests, one site was a “barren” area in transition, and nine sites were dominated by echinoderms. Of these nine sites dominated by echinoderms, two were dominated by Strongylocentrotus purpuratus (purple sea urchins), one by Strongylocentrotus franciscanus (red sea urchins), three by S. purpuratus and S. franciscanus, one by Pachythyone rubra (aggregated red sea cucumbers), S. purpuratus, S. franciscanus, and Astrangia lajollaensis (cup coral), one by S. purpuratus, S. franciscanus and Ophiothrix spiculata (spiny brittle star), and one by O. spiculata. Technical Report CHIS-07-01 4 Kelp Forest Monitoring 2002 Annual Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Channel Islands National Park has conducted long-term ecological monitoring of the kelp forests around Santa Barbara, Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel Islands since 1982. Permanent transects were established at 16 sites between 1981 and 1986. An additional transect was installed at Miracle Mile at San Miguel Island in 2001. This site was installed by a commercial fisherman with support from Santa Barbara County and was placed in an area of high Haliotis rufescens (red abalone) density to target that species. In 2002, sites were monitored during seven five-day cruises between June and September. Divers using SCUBA or surface-supply-air completed all quadrats, 5m2-quadrats, band transects, random point contacts, fish transects, roving diver fish counts, size frequencies, artificial recruitment modules (ARMs), species list surveys, video transects and temperature loggers were retrieved and deployed at the 16 KFM sites. The 2002 kelp forest monitoring was completed at all 16 monitoring sites by 29 National Park Service (NPS) and volunteer divers completing a total of 635 dives with over 516 hours of bottom time. In addition to the 16 KFM sites, limited sampling was conducted at Miracle Mile, San Miguel Island. This annual report contains a summary of the methods used to conduct the monitoring in 2002 and a brief description of the sites along with the results. All of the data collected during 2002 can be found summarized in the Appendices. In addition to our regular monitoring at five Park Islands, a survey cruise to San Clemente Island was conducted to locate four new kelp forest monitoring sites that will be established in 2003 for the U.S. Navy. During this cruise an additional six divers were utilized and completed 116 dives with over 71 hours of bottom time. The information gathered on this cruise is presented in a special report “San Clemente Island Kelp Surveys May/June 2002”. We expect that the additional information gathered at San Clemente Island will greatly compliment the Park’s existing monitoring program. In 2002, Macrocystis pyrifera (giant kelp) forests were present at six of the 16 Kelp Forest Monitoring sites. These sites included Wyckoff Ledge at San Miguel