Intertidal Monitoring Protocol for the North Coast and Cascades Network Natural Resource Report.

摘要

The intertidal zone of the Pacific Northwest is one of the most productive and diverse marine habitats on the west coast of North America. Prime examples of pristine outer coast and Puget Sound intertidal habitats and their intact biota are found within the boundaries of the marine parks of the North Coast and Cascades Network (NCCN) of national parks. These rich resources are vulnerable to a variety of threats, especially climate change and oil spills. A rich history of intertidal monitoring exists within the NCCN and at other west coast sites, both inside and outside of NPS units. This foundation has been drawn upon to develop a monitoring protocol to track trends in the invertebrate and macroalgal communities of major intertidal habitats (rocky shorelines and sand beaches) and intertidal water temperature in Olympic National Park (OLYM), San Juan Island National Historical Park (SAJH), and Lewis and Clark National Historical Park (LEWI). We have established 7 sites to monitor rocky intertidal target species and communities in OLYM, LEWI and SAJH. Each site is part of the MARINe (Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network) network and contains plots that target the abundance of key habitat-forming species and a keystone seastar predator (Pisaster ochraceus). These plots follow established MARINe methodologies and allow comparison to other MARINe sites along the west coast of North America. Additional plots in OLYM target whole communities to track trends in their composition and elevational distribution, aspects predicted to be altered by climate change. Eight sand beach sites have been established in OLYM and LEWI to detect trends in infaunal community structure, and 14 temperature sites have been established to track changes in intertidal water temperature in each distinct oceanographic zone in OLYM, LEWI, and SAJH. Monitoring of intertidal biota and the dominant physical factor influencing them provides an important baseline for assessing the impacts of oil spills and understanding the impacts associated with global climate change. Such understanding can be incorporated into park management decisions and adaptation strategies.