Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINe) Study of Rocky 

Intertidal Communities Adjacent to OCS Activities – Final report 

(2007-2010) 

FINAL TECHNICAL SUMMARY 

STUDY TITLE: “Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINe) Study of Rocky 

Intertidal Communities Adjacent to OCS Activities” 

REPORT TITLE: Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINe) Study of Rocky 

Intertidal Communities Adjacent to OCS Activities - Final report (2007-2010)” 

CONTRACT NUMBER: Cooperative Agreement Number M07AC12503 

SPONSORING OCS REGION: Pacific 

APPLICABLE PLANNING AREA(S): Southern California 

FISCAL YEAR(S) OF PROJECT FUNDING: FY 2007- FY2010 

COMPLETION DATE OF REPORT: December 31, 2010 

COSTS: FY2007 $325,237; FY 2008 $305,849; FY 2009 $320,414 

PROJECT MANAGER(S): Dr. Peter Raimondi 

AFFILIATION: Long Marine Laboratory, University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) 

ADDRESS: UC Santa Cruz Office of Sponsored Projects, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, 

California 

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR(S): Dr. Pete Raimondi, University of California, Santa 

Cruz (UCSC); Dr. Richard Ambrose, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); Dr. 

Jack Engle, University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB); Dr. Steve Murray, 

California State University, Fullerton (CSUF); Dr. Jayson Smith, California State 

University, Fullerton (CSUF) 

KEY WORDS: rocky intertidal, monitoring, black abalone, 

BACKGROUND 

Oil and gas activities, especially the tankering of oil along the California coast and the 

extraction of oil from OCS activities, raise the possibility of an oil spill or other impact to 

coastal resources. Population monitoring of coastal biota in central and southern 

California provide baseline information in case an event such as a spill damaged these 

resources. BOEMRE initiated the formation of a long-term monitoring program, the 

Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network, MARINe, in 1997, which now has 32 Federal, 
State and local agency, University and private partners and monitors 120 rocky shore 

sites. Through this study, BOEMRE funds biannual monitoring at 24 established rocky 

intertidal sites along the California mainland adjacent to OCS operations. The study also 

funds operation and maintenance of the shared MARINe database, and coordination of 

the MARINe committees. 

OBJECTIVES 

The primary objective for this research is to contribute to the ongoing monitoring 

program that provides a basis for determining if change in rocky shoreline communities 

adjacent to producing OCS facilities can be attributed to producing operations or 

accidents from OCS facilities. The second objective is to provide an ecological context 

through monitoring so as to understand the natural and anthropogenic changes to these 

communities that have occurred in the Southern California Bight since the OCS program 

was initiated. This latter objective is based on a collaboration between MARINe and 

other groups (especially the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Study of Coastal Oceans 

(PISCO)) and includes the collection of additional biodiversity data and comparison to 

comparable historic data (using matching funds). Additional objectives included 

oversight of a concurrent database process and publication of metadata for the BOEMREfunded long-term data set. 

DESCRIPTION: 

The work completed in the period 2007-2010 employed methodologies consistent with 

the previous MARINe projects in order to maximize comparability among project results. 

The methodological details for these projects can be found in Engle (2005 and 

www.marine.gov), and are summarized below. 

To accomplish the first objective, target species at 24 established rocky intertidal sites 

along the mainland coast of Southern and Central California adjacent to producing 

platforms were monitored spring and fall. Target species include: mussels (Mytilus 

californianus), barnacles (Chthamalus spp., Balanus glandula and Pollicipes polymerus), 

anemones (Anthopleura elegantissima), algal species including Endocladia muricata, 

Hesperophycus harveyanus, Silvetia compressa, Mazzaella spp., Mastocarpus papillatus, 

surfgrass (Phyllospadix scouleri/torreyi), motile invertebrates such as owl limpets (Lottia 

gigantea), black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) and sea stars (Pisaster ochraceus). 

Mussels, barnacles, anenomes and algal species were photographed in fixed rectangular 

plots and scored in the lab or field (barnacles at some sites) by scoring species under 100 

points on each slide. Five replicate plots per target species were photographed at each site 

where the plots occurred. Surfgrass cover was estimated using a point contact method 

along 10 m transects. Owl limpets were measured and counted in 5 replicate, 1-meter 

circular plots at each site where the plots occurred. Abalone were counted and measured 

in 3 replicate irregular plots. Sea stars were counted, measured and classed by color in 

either 2 meter wide, 10 m long band transects or irregular plots, depending on the habitat. 

In many of the target species plots we also sampled the associated motile species. To 

optimize future environmental impact assessments, sites have been established 

systematically over a broad geographic range and each species is monitored at several 

sites within that range. 
This study also included overall coordination of MARINe, including facilitating meetings 

with the MARINe Steering Committee, Data Panel, and Science Panel and coordinating 

use of the data in collaborative projects. A large MARINe database is also populated and 

maintained for the entire network through this Cooperative Agreement. 

Dr. Pete Raimondi, the Project Manager, coordinated the study, and specifically oversaw 

monitoring in San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara County sites. Dr. Steve 

Murray and Dr. Jayson Smith at California State University, Fullerton conducted the 

monitoring in Orange County. Dr. Rich Ambrose at UCLA conducted companion 

monitoring for southern Santa Barbara and Los Angeles Counties. Dr. Jack Engle at the 

UC Santa Barbara coordinated MARINe efforts, particularly with regards to protocol 

standardization and documentation. In addition, the BOEMRE Pacific Region Intertidal 

Survey and Monitoring (PRISM) Team participated in the sampling, and other program 

functions to assure continued coordination with BOEMRE was maintained. 

SIGNIFICANT CONCLUSIONS: 

Ongoing monitoring of the black abalone documented the continuing decline of the 

species in much of its range. Additional studies coupled to the MARINe monitoring were 

carried out to determine the extent of the critical habitat for the species. These two data 

sets were combined to estimate the population size of Black abalone. These results were 

critical to the listing of the species as endangered. 

MARINe monitoring data was used by the State of California to aid in the Marine Life 

Protection Act design of the Marine Protected Area (MPA) network for southern 

California. Intertidal datasets were used to delineate the biogeographic regions and 

optimal sizes of intertidal MPA’s were also calculated based on MARINe datasets. 

MARINe datasets were the foundation of the assessment of potential impacts to the State 

designated Areas of Special Biological Significance. 

STUDY RESULTS: 

During the course of the performance period for this contract all 24 sites were sampled, 

usually twice per year (Table 2). Both sessile and motile species were sampled and 

sampling was generally uneventful. Fourteen target species were sampled across the 

project sites and in many of these plots, motile species were also sampled. During this 

period no additional sites were set up using direct BOEMRE funding, but 38 sites were 

set up using co-funding from the State of California (MPA and ASBS funding) and the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

During this period MARINe protocols were accepted as the first approved monitoring 

protocol for the U.S. National Park Service monitoring program (for Redwoods National 

Park), and these protocols are now being used as the basis of monitoring programs in 

Park Service areas on the east coast. In terms of the biological communities sampled, the 

major result is the continued decline in the black abalone. The decline during this period 

was more muted than in the past, but still present. Importantly recruitment of new 

individuals still has not occurred at sites affected severely by the withering disease. Other 

species were dynamic but the changes in populations were not outside natural dynamics. 

We continued to monitor invasive species, but did not note any additional invasions. A 

full data report covering all MARINe sites will be finished in 2011. This report will be a 
comprehensive assessment of the entire MARINe region and cover species dynamics at 

spatial scales from 1000’s to 10’s of kilometers and temporal scales from seasons to 

decades. This will be the most comprehensive assessment of a marine ecosystem (rocky 

intertidal throughout much of the California Current region) ever done. 

STUDY PRODUCT(S): Products include annual update of the MARINe database, 

collection and archival of photos and specimens, 135 conference presentations, 39 peer 

reviewed papers and posters, and 25 reports. See report and www.MARINe.gov for full 

listing.