Dataset: Tide Pool Community Surveys: Sessile organisms

Name: Sessile organisms found in tide pools during community surveys at John Brown’s Beach, Sitka, Alaska, USA from 2018 to 2020.
Published: 2022-05-17
Keywords: Alaska, Sitka, rocky intertidal, seasonality, survey, Tidepool, oceans

Cite This Dataset

DOI:10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.872885.1

Spatial Extent: N:57.05 E:-135.37 S:57.05 W:-135.37

Temporal Extent: 2018-06-27 - 2020-09-15

Project:

Collaborative Research: Effects of multiple aspects of climate change on marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (Sitka CO2 and Temp Expt)

Principal Investigator:

Cascade Sorte (University of California-Irvine, UC Irvine)

Co-Principal Investigator:

Matthew Bracken (University of California-Irvine, UC Irvine)

Kristy J. Kroeker (University of California-Santa Cruz, UCSC)

Luke P. Miller (San Diego State University, SDSU)

Contact:

Matthew Bracken (University of California-Irvine, UC Irvine)

BCO-DMO Data Manager:

Taylor Heyl (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, WHOI BCO-DMO)

Shannon Rauch (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, WHOI BCO-DMO)

Version:

Version Date:

2022-05-17

Restricted:

Validated:

Yes

Current State:

Final no updates expected

Sessile organisms found in tide pools during community surveys at John Brown’s Beach, Sitka, Alaska, USA from 2018 to 2020.

Abstract:

This dataset includes information on sessile species found in tide pools on a rocky shoreline during community surveys conducted at John Brown’s Beach, Sitka, Alaska, USA from 2018 to 2020.

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Archival Copy

Version Date	Archive	Persistent Identifier	Date Assigned
2022-05-17	Marine Biological Laboratory/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Library (MBLWHOI DLA)	10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.872885.1	2022-05-17

Description

This dataset includes only the sessile organism abundance data from the study. See "Related Datasets" section for mobile species percent cover data.

Methods & Sampling

Surveys were conducted at John Brown’s Beach (57.05 N, 135.37 W), near Sitka, Alaska, USA. Specific site information is included in the file "Tide_Pool_Characteristics.csv" under Supplemental Files.

Sampling and analytical procedures:
We selected 36 tide pools to study and surveyed each using a flexible quadrat with 10cm x 10cm mesh openings. At the beginning of the survey, the perimeter of each tide pool was delineated using a piece of cord, then the pool was drained using a bilge pump and a bucket. The surveyors then laid down the mesh quadrat and used it to measure the total bottom surface area of the tide pool. The surveyor then identified all non-mobile species (sessile invertebrates and algae) present, measured the surface area occupied by each, and, when finished, refilled the tide pool with the previously removed water. This dataset includes only the sessile organism abundance data from the study. See "Related Datasets" section for mobile species data percent cover data.

Known Issues:
There are multiple small gaps in the data. Dead mussels and dead barnacles were not assessed in the first set of surveys. The time of the pools being drained and refilled was not recorded during the surveys between January and May 2019. There were also a pair of tide pools (22 and 23) that were connected, preventing accurate volume measurements from being taken.

WoRMS Taxa Match:

BCO-DMO checked the provided taxonomic names using the World Register of Marine Species Taxa Match tool (WoRMS). All names matched a known name exactly, though two matched an unaccepted synonym. The following are details on the results of the Taxa Match:

in dataset: Petrocelis; accepted name: Mastocarpus. The Petrocelis form of Mastocarpus represents a distinct life-history stage. It remains as a separate classification in the data.
in dataset: Pterosiphonia bipinnata; accepted name: Savoiea bipinnata. This name was changed in the data.

Data Processing Description

Data Processing:
Data were collected on data sheets and entered into an Excel spreadsheet, where the data were later double-checked against the original data sheets to ensure transfer accuracy.

BCO-DMO Processing
- Converted dates to YYYY-MM-DD format
- Adjusted field/parameter names to comply with BCO-DMO naming conventions
- Added a conventional header with dataset name, PI names, version date
- Missing data identifier 'empty' replaced with 'nd' (BCO-DMO's default missing data identifier)
- Taxonomic names were checked using the World Register of Marine Species Taxa Match tool (WoRMS). All names matched a known name exactly. Though two matched an unaccepted synonym:
(1) Orgininally labeled Pterosiphonia bipinnata in the dataset, it was changed to the accepted name: Savoiea bipinnata.
(2) Originally labeled Petrocelis matched with Mastocarpus and the submitter requested that Petrocelis remain as a life stage of Mastocarpus.

Data Files

File
surveys_cover.csv (Comma Separated Values (.csv), 925.62 KB) MD5:065be309d9d49e2e7a6e50837adce92c Primary data file for dataset ID 872885

Supplemental Files

File

Tide_Pool_Characteristics.csv

(Comma Separated Values (.csv), 1.72 KB)
MD5:85c06b50953fa6716049840ca77f7c85

Characteristics of tide pools studied in the Light-Dark Tide Pool Productivity study. 

Column names, Units, Descriptions:

Pool_ID, unitless, The number assigned to each tide pool.

Latitude, Degrees North, The latitude of each tide pool.

Longitude, Degrees East, The longitude of each tide pool.

Maximum_depth, centimeters (cm), Water depth at the deepest point in each tide pool, measured with a ruler.

Perimeter, centimeters (cm), Perimeter of each tide pool, measured at water level with a transect tape.

Volume, liters (L), Water volume in each tide pool, measured by pumping all water in a tide pool into a graduated bucket.

Interior_surface_area, square meters (m2), Interior surface area of each tide pool, measured along the bottom of each tide pool with a flexible mesh quadrat.

Tide_height, meters (m), The height of each tide pool above Mean Lower Low Water, measured with a measuring rod and surveying scope.

More Information about this dataset

Funding Sources

Funding Source	Award Number
NSF Division of Ocean Sciences	OCE-1756173
NSF Division of Ocean Sciences	OCE-1756208
NSF Division of Ocean Sciences	OCE-1756216
NSF Division of Ocean Sciences	OCE-1904185

Deployments

None available yet

Instruments

None available yet

Parameters

Date and time formats are described in python strftime() syntax.

Supplied Name	Supplied description	Supplied Units	Standard Name
Date	The date of the survey in format: YYYY-MM-DD Format: %Y-%m-%d	unitless	date
Pool_ID	The numerical ID of the tide pool surveyed	unitless	site
Time_drained	The time at which water was pumped from the tide pool in local (Alaska Standard or Alaska Daylight) time in format: hh:mm Format: %H:%M	unitless	time_start
Time_water_returned	The time at which the tide pool was refilled in local (Alaska Standard or Alaska Daylight) time in format: hh:mm Format: %H:%M	unitless	time_end
Pool_surface_area	The total basal surface area of the tide pool	meters squared (m2)	surface_area
Bare_space	Percentage of total tide pool area occupied by bare rock with no biological cover, relative to surface area	percent (%) cover	no_bcodmo_term
Organism	The species observed during the survey	unitless	taxon
Abundance	Percentage of total tide pool surface area occupied by the named species. Dead barnacles and dead mussels were not assessed in June 2018, January-May 2019, or June-September 2020.	percent (%) cover	abundance

Database

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Dataset: Tide Pool Community Surveys: Sessile organisms