Nearshore Habitat Biotic Community Monitoring
   

Intertidal biological communities are made up of a diverse set of resident invertebrates and plants that respond to changes in a wide range of physical, chemical and biological conditions.  It is important to monitor intertidal biological communities for their intrinsic biodiversity value and also because these communities impact other organisms through the food web.  The Nearshore Habitat Program has been collaborating with the University of Washington to monitor intertidal biological communities in South and Central Sound since 1997.  This project provides us with information on an important indicator of habitat condition.

Publications - Available from the Journal Publisher

  • Dethier, M.N., & Schoch, G.C. 2005. The consequences of scale: assessing the distribution of benthic populations in a complex estuarine fjord. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 62, 253-270.
  • Dethier, M.N., & Schoch, G.C. 2006. Taxonomic sufficiency in distinguishing natural spatial patterns on an estuarine shoreline. Mar Ecol Prog Ser, 306, 41-49.
  • Dethier, M.N. et al.  2016.  Multiscale impacts of armoring on Salish Sea shorelines:  Evidence for cumulative and threshold effects.  Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 175, 106-117.
All reports are also available, listed by author and year, in Publications.