MEDN Kelp Forest Monitoring

Gabara, Scott; Chan, Kenan

Kelp forests constitute one of the largest, most complex, and most threatened ecosystems in CHIS. The primary objective in selecting taxa for monitoring was to provide a representative cross section of the ecological roles present in the park kelp forests. These taxa serve as ecological "vital signs" of system health. To fulfill this objective, selected species needed to include representatives of all trophic levels, a variety of reproductive strategies, both sessile and mobile organisms, and a variety of feeding strategies. Park: CHIS Protocol Objectives: The overarching objectives of KFM are as follows: Identify trends in ecosystem health Determine limits of variability Diagnose abnormal conditions Suggest potential remedial treatments More specific monitoring objectives are in development as part of the protocol revision process.

MEDN Kelp Forest Monitoring

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