Recovery patterns vary greatly between sites and their rates are not related to a latitudinal gradient. B. Physical disturbance from ship groundings Ships periodically run aground, and their initial impact and subsequent removal can damage rocky shore assemblages. Though dramatic, these events cause very localized damage and are infrequent enough to be considered a minor resource management issue. As discussed above, spilling the contents of a ship is of more concern than the physical scraping. Trampling from foot traffic is unavoidable during these activities.
Harvesting can also impact scientific experiments.
California Department of Fish and Game provides some control on collecting in the intertidal zone, but innovative measures to minimize trampling impacts will be needed at sites near areas of high human density. D. Coastal development and road maintenance Human-made structures to counter coastal erosion can increase and decrease rocky intertidal habitat. Of course, adding rocky shores means an equivalent loss of some other habitat. Especially along the Big Sur coastline, maintenance of the coastal highway creates periodic disturbances that simulate landslides. Studies on the frequency of natural slides versus road-related slides are not available, and the California Coastal Commission permits all coastal development.