Kenneth S. Norris Rancho Marino Reserve

08 Dec, 04 AM - 09 Dec, 02 AM

The morphology of the intertidal kelp, Egregia menziesii, varies considerably throughout its range and has long been believed to correlate with geographic distribution; however, the "southern" form has been found at least as far north as Piedras Blancas, CA (personal observation), and the "northern" form has been recorded south of Santa Barbara, CA at Mussel Shoals (Blanchette et al. 2002). This study will characterize the distribution of the two distinct forms (based on the rachis and lateral morphologies) of Egregia at six of the University of California Natural Reserves spanning from Bodega Bay (north of Piedras Blancas) to the Scripps Coastal Reserve (far south of Mussel Shoals), including two site on Santa Cruz Island. The relative abundances of the two morphs will be quantified and correlated with environmental features of the site such as temperatures and wave exposure. In order to determine the relative abundance of the two morphotypes, field sampling will be conducted at each site on each of two visits. Band transects 1 m wide and 8 m long will be surveyed and all Egregia within the band will be categorized as the "northern" or "southern" form. Additionally, the developmental stage (recruit, immature, or adult) of each encountered Egregia will be determined to estimate the timing of natural recruitment at the seven sites. Each of the Egregia recruits will be tagged and the morphotype and length recorded. On the subsequent visit, these tagged individuals will be reexamined to determine survivorship, growth rate, and to see if the morphotype remained constant. Wave force meters will be set up on the first visit and retrieved on the second in order to estimate the maximum wave forces experienced by the Egregia. Additionally, temperature loggers will be deployed at each site on the first visit, and temperatures will be recorded every eight hours over the course of the study. During the site visits, material will also be collected and preserved for later genetic analysis. Collection of material will be minimal: one branch each from eight individuals will be taken per site per visit. Two temperature loggers per site will be deployed and attached using marine epoxy. Two wave force meter per site will be attached using stainless steel bolts.

Visit #2099 @Kenneth S. Norris Rancho Marino Reserve

Approved

Under Project # 1675 | Research

University of California Santa Barbara - Marine Science Institute

graduate_student - University of California, Santa Barbara

Reservation Members(s)

Group of 2 Graduate Student Dec 8 - 9, 2003 (2 days)
Sarah Henkel Dec 8 - 9, 2003 (2 days)

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