Temporal Change in Rocky Intertidal Macroflora and Macrofauna Community Composition at Little Corona del Mar, Newport Beach, CA Dr. Jayson R. Smith California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Department of Biological Sciences 3801 W. Temple Ave Pomona, CA 92832
[email protected] Field Assistants: Sean C. Vogt., Faye Creedon, Janine Kido, Laura Elsberry Report Prepared for Weston Solutions, Inc. July 2013 Summary The percent cover, biodiversity, and community structure of rocky intertidal macrophytes and macroinvertebrates at Little Corona del Mar, Newport Beach, CA were compared over a decade of intermittent spring sampling. Transect sampling was conducted in 2003, 2007, 2008, 2012, and 2013 and compared temporally using both univariate statistics on species/taxa cover and diversity data and multivariate statistics on community composition data. In general, select species and functional group cover, evenness, and community composition varied over time but few consistent, directional, long-term patterns were observed. In other words, most species fluctuated over time but did not consistently increase or decrease from one sampling period to the next. Based on the data set for this site, the macroflora and macrofauna did not change substantially over the past decade. Methods The percent cover of rocky intertidal macrophytes and macroinvertebrates were determined using a modified point contact method along five permanent transect lines placed perpendicular to shore at Little Corona del Mar in Newport Beach, CA (Figures 1 and 2). These transects were originally established in 2003 by Bullard (2005) and previously sampled in 2003 (Bullard), 2007 (Smith), and 2008 (Smith). Transects were resampled for this effort in 2012 and 2013; all sampling occurred during late spring (May/June).