Sand Beach Monitoring at Channel Islands National Park, 2007-2012.

摘要

Though a smaller proportion of the island shoreline than the mainland’s, sandy beaches are an important habitat of the intertidal zone of the northern Channel Islands. Often overlooked, sand beach communities offer a dynamic arena for the interaction of marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Marine organisms living within this zone are highly adapted to physical disturbance and severe temperature fluctuations. Yet, the abundant and diverse fauna of the beaches is sensitive to changes in oceanographic conditions and to perturbations such as oil spills.Sand beach monitoring is part of the long-term ecological monitoring program at Channel Islands National Park. This report describes the monitoring and results from 2007-2012. Five to nine beaches were sampled on Santa Rosa Island annually during summer to determine abundance and population dynamics of sand crabs, amphipods (beach hoppers), olive snails, and Pismo clams.