DOI: 10.5061/dryad.vx0k6dk3j
title: Data for: Functions of coastal feeder bluff systems: Implications for prioritizing protection and restoration

description: We conducted field sampling at 20 feeder bluff beaches in the Salish Sea,
 WA, USA, during spring-summer 2022. We sampled parameters spanning the top
 of the bluff to the low shore, and evaluated metrics including vegetation,
 supratidal invertebrates, logs, beach wrack, fish observations, MLLW
 biota, beach and bluff characteristics, and sediment size and sorting. We
 collected data across four treatments: “Protect High” (unarmored, ranked
 as high management priority), “Protect Low” (unarmored, ranked low),
 “Restore High” (armored, ranked high), and “Restore Low” (armored, ranked
 low); and five “Regions”: Penn Cove, Dabob Bay, Agate Pass, Vashon Island,
 and Harstine Island.
description: # Data for: Functions of coastal feeder bluff systems: Implications for
 prioritizing protection and restoration Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.vx0k6dk3j](10.5061/dryad.vx0k6dk3j) ## Description of the
 data and file structure Data was collected on feeder bluffs in Puget
 Sound. We conducted field sampling at twenty sites, five each ranked as
 (1) Restore High, (2) Restore Low, (3) Protect High, and (4) Protect Low.
 Our twenty sites were dispersed equally among five geographic regions in
 Puget Sound, with each region encompassing sites of all four treatments.
 Any empty cells are "n/a", data not applicable, due to
 corresponding data entry in other fields (e.g., a zero count for fish
 means there are no data on fish lengths). ### Files and variables ####
 File: bluff_dunegrass.csv **Description:** Dunegrass data ##### Variables
 * Region: Penn Cove, Dabob Bay, Agate Pass, Vashon Island, and Harstine
 Island * Treatment: four “Treatments” of Protect High (PH), Protect Low
 (PL), Restore High (RH), and Restore Low (RL) * Transect_point: Replicate
 on transect * Patch_width_m: dunegrass patch width in meters #### File:
 bluff_geomorph_sediment.csv **Description:** geomorphology and sediment
 data ##### Variables * Region: Penn Cove, Dabob Bay, Agate Pass, Vashon
 Island, and Harstine Island. * Treatment: four “Treatments” of Protect
 High (PH), Protect Low (PL), Restore High (RH), and Restore Low (RL) *
 Slope_Toe_MSL: slope of beach (m/m) from toe of armor or bluff to MSL *
 Width_toe_MLLW: width of the beach (m) from the toe of armor or bluff to
 MLLW * Relative_Encroachment: the difference between MHHW and the toe
 elevation of the bluff or armor for the site; positive encroachment
 indicates the toe elevation is below that of MHHW, encroaching into
 intertidal areas, whereas negative encroachment indicates the toe
 elevation is above MHHW * Normalized_Sorting_MHHW: value of normalized
 sediment sorting at MHHW (unitless) * Sand_MHHW: Percent sand at MHHW *
 Sand_MLLW: Percent sand at MLLW * Wave_Height: Wave height (m) *
 Normalized_Sorting_MLLW: value of normalized sediment sorting at MLLW
 (unitless) * Bluff_Height: bluff height (m) * Bluff_Exposure: bluff
 exposure (m^2^) #### File: bluff_fish.csv **Description:**  observations
 from snorkel surveys ##### Variables * Date: date of sampling * Season:
 season of sampling * Start_time: start of survey * Secchi_m: underwater
 visibility in meters, measured with a horizontal secchi disk * Region:
 Penn Cove, Dabob Bay, Agate Pass, Vashon Island, and Harstine Island. *
 Treatment: four “Treatments” of Protect High (PH), Protect Low (PL),
 Restore High (RH), and Restore Low (RL) * Transect_depth: transect number,
 from shore outwards to water * Transect_length: transect length (m) *
 Water_depth: water depth in meters * Observation: observation number *
 Fish_species: fish observed * Fish_group: grouping of fish observed *
 Count: number * Density: count divided by transect length and secchi *
 Length_min: minimum value of fish observation * Length_max: maximum value
 of fish observation * Water_column: position in water column: middle (M),
 bottom (B), surface (S) * Behavior: behavior of fish observation: feeding
 (FD), schooling (SC), swam away (SA), freeze (FR), hiding (HD), unaffected
 (U) #### File: bluff_vegetation_cover.csv **Description:**  percent cover
 of vegetation ##### Variables * Region: Penn Cove, Dabob Bay, Agate Pass,
 Vashon Island, and Harstine Island. * Treatment: four “Treatments” of
 Protect High (PH), Protect Low (PL), Restore High (RH), and Restore Low
 (RL) * Date: date of sampling * Overhanging_pct: percent cover of
 overhanging vegetation * Supratidal_pct: percent cover of supratidal
 vegetation #### File: bluff_supratidal_inverts.csv
 **Description:** supratidal invertebrates from fallout traps #####
 Variables * Region: Penn Cove, Dabob Bay, Agate Pass, Vashon Island, and
 Harstine Island. * Treatment: four “Treatments” of Protect High (PH),
 Protect Low (PL), Restore High (RH), and Restore Low (RL) * Date: date of
 sampling * SN: replicate sample number * Taxa: invertebrate taxa * Life
 stage: life stage of taxa * Family: family of taxa * Order: order of taxa
 * Count: count of taxa * Density #/m2: density of count and surface area *
 Hours deployed: hours fallout trap deployed * Surface area m2: surface
 area of fallout trap #### File: bluff_logs.csv **Description:** log data
 ##### Variables * Region: Penn Cove, Dabob Bay, Agate Pass, Vashon Island,
 and Harstine Island. * Treatment: four “Treatments” of Protect High (PH),
 Protect Low (PL), Restore High (RH), and Restore Low (RL) * Date: date of
 sampling * Replicate: replicate along the transect * Width_log_line_m:
 width of the log line in meters * Total_log_count: total count of logs *
 Partially_buried_count: count of partially buried logs *
 Terrestrial_growth_count: count of logs with terrestrial growth *
 Fallen_tree_count: count of fallen trees #### File: MLLW.csv
 **Description:** MLLW biota and sediments ##### Variables * Region: Penn
 Cove, Dabob Bay, Agate Pass, Vashon Island, and Harstine Island. *
 Date: date of sampling * Treatment: four “Treatments” of Protect High
 (PH), Protect Low (PL), Restore High (RH), and Restore Low (RL) * Rep:
 replicate sample * Eelgrass: percent eelgrass * Boulder.pct: percent
 boulder * Cobble.pct: percent cobble * Pebble.pct: percent pebble *
 Sand.pct: percent sand * Shell hash.pct: percent shell hash * Oyster.pct:
 percent oyster * Dead.barn: percent dead barnacles * Zost.mar: percent
 eelgrass *Zostera marina* * Zost.jap: percent eelgrass *Zostera japonica*
 * Ulva: percent *Ulva* * Fucus: percent *Fucus* * Porphyra: percent
 *Porphyra* * Scytosiphon: percent *Scytosiphon* * Gelidium: percent
 *Gelidium* * Caulacant: percent *Caulacant* * Polysiphonia:
 percent *Polysiphonia* * Prionitis: percent *Prionitis* * Gracilaria:
 percent *Gracilaria* * Mast: percent *Mastocarpus* * fleshy.crust: percent
 fleshy crust * diatoms: percent diatoms * Live.barn: percent live
 barnacles * Spio.tubes: percent spionid tubes * Serpulids: percent
 serpulids * Polynoids: percent polynoids * Amphip: number amphipods *
 Sphaerom: number sphaeromatids * Tresus.siph: number tresus siphons *
 Hemi.o: number Hemigrapsus oregonensis * Pagurids: number pagurids *
 Lophopanopeus: number *Lophopanopeus* * Litt.scut: number *Littorina
 scutulata* * Lacuna: number *Lacuna* * Limpets: number limpets *
 Nucella.lam: number *Nucella lamellosa* * Mytilus: number mytilus *
 Platyhelm: number platyhelminthes * Haminoea: number haminoea * Sabellids:
 number sabellids * Midshipmen: number midshipmen * Live.oysters: number
 live oysters * Terebellids: number terebellids * Geoduck.siphons: number
 geoduck siphons * Mopalia: number mopalia * Moon.snail: number moon snails
 * Dendraster: number dendraster * A.eleg: number *A. eleg* *
 Neotryp.holes: number neotrypaea holes * Metridium: number metridium *
 juv.Pisaster: number juvenile pisaster * Onchidoris: number onchidoris *
 nemert: number nermtean * Stichaeeid: number stichaeeid #### File:
 bluff_wrack.csv **Description:** wrack data ##### Variables * Date: date
 of sampling * Region: Penn Cove, Dabob Bay, Agate Pass, Vashon Island, and
 Harstine Island. * Treatment: four “Treatments” of Protect High (PH),
 Protect Low (PL), Restore High (RH), and Restore Low (RL) * Replicate:
 replicate number along the transect * Total_cover: total percent cover *
 Terrestrial: terrestrial percent cover * Wrack_depth_cm: wrack depth in cm
 * Wrack_width_m: wrack width in m #### File: bluff_vegetation_species.csv
 **Description:** vegetation species ##### Variables * Region: Penn Cove,
 Dabob Bay, Agate Pass, Vashon Island, and Harstine Island. *
 Treatment: four “Treatments” of Protect High (PH), Protect Low (PL),
 Restore High (RH), and Restore Low (RL) * Date: date of sampling *
 Common_name: common name of vegetation * Taxa: scientific name of
 vegetation * Status: introduced, native, or cryptic