DOI: 10.6073/pasta/0976f9969ef2789b77b659e9337c4c0c
title: Santa Barbara Channel Marine BON: Nearshore kelp forest integrated fish, 1981-ongoing

description: The Santa Barbara Channel Marine Biodiversity Observation Network
  (SBCMBON) tracks long-term patterns in species abundance and
  diversity. This dataset contains counts of fish (including cryptic
  fish, which are deliberately sought out) produced by integrating data
  from four contributing projects working in the kelp forests of the
  Santa Barbara Channel, USA.

      
  The four contributing projects are two research projects, the Santa
  Barbara Coastal LTER (SBC LTER) and the Partnership for
  Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO), and the kelp
  forest monitoring program of the Santa Barbara Channel National Park,
  and the San Nicolas Island monitoring program supported by USGS.
  Together, these projects have recorded data for more than 200 species
  at approximately 100 sites on both the mainland coast and on the Santa
  Barbara Channel Islands. Sampling began in 1980 and is ongoing. Data
  were collected by human observation (divers using SCUBA) during
  regular surveys.

      
  This dataset includes five entities, three data tables and two R
  scripts. The main data table contains counts of organisms, the
  bottom-area and height of the water column over which the fish were
  surveyed. The column labeled “count” records the number of organisms
  found in each plot/transect at a given timestamp. A second data table
  contains place names and geolocation for sampling sites. Information
  is sufficient for the calculation of fish density, which is left to
  the user. The third data table contains the depths of each transect
  the for the fish survey. Sample R script is included to illustrate
  generation of a basic table of areal density by taxa and sampling
  site. A second R script is included to convert these data from their
  primary MBON structure to a Darwin Core Archive (and available through
  multiple sources).

      
  MBON is funded by National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  (NASA), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and National Oceanic
  and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

      
  For users who are interested in using all or part of this integrated
  datasets, please contact data owners to discuss your research
  interests, data-related issues or any other questions. A recommended
  citation for the data package is available from the download page. In
  addition, any manuscript generated using this dataset is expected to
  be sent to the data owners before publication so we can be sure the
  data is used in the proper context and methods are reported
  accurately:

      
  Santa Barbara Coastal LTER (LTER):

      
  Dan Reed dan.reed@lifesci.ucsb.edu

      
  Robert Miller miller@msi.ucsb.edu

      
  Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO):

      
  Jenn Caselle caselle@ucsb.edu

      
  Kelp forest monitoring (KFM):

      
  David Kushner david_kushner@nps.gov

      
  Joshua Sprague joshua_sprague@nps.gov

      
  San Nicolas Island monitoring (SNI):

      
  Kevin Lafferty Klafferty@usgs.gov

      
  Mike Kenner mkenner@ucsc.edu