University of California, Santa Cruz

UC Santa Cruz (http://www.ucsc.edu/) is involved in all the core research projects thatcharacterize PISCO and has taken a lead role in some aspects of theprogram. Our research focuses on the central California region, primarily the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

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Nearshore Oceanography

The central California region is characterized by three major oceanographic regions with differences in the strength and productivity of their upwelling regimes. North of Monterey Bay, strong nutrient-rich upwelling occurs across a broad continental shelf, resulting in highly productive water that is rapidly transported offshore. South of Monterey Bay along the Monterey Peninsula, upwelling is less pronounced, resulting in more moderate increases in productivity. In contrast, further south along the Big Sur coast, upwelling is strong but the narrow shelf creates conditions of lower nutrients and productivity. Our oceanographic studies are focused on understanding the consequences of these different regimes on rocky shore and kelp forest community dynamics.

Oceanographic instruments are deployed at five core sites along the coast of central California. Two sites are located within the region north of Monterey Bay (Sandhill Bluff and Terrace Point). Two sites are located along the Monterey Peninsula (Hopkins Marine Station and Stillwater Cove). One additional site is located at Andrew Molera State Park just south of Point Sur. These instruments, moored in 21 meters of water, provide continuous measurements of current and temperature profiles. The current meters tell us whether water is moving onshore or offshore and for how long each of the transport phases lasts. The temperature profiles provide an indicator of upwelling. Upwelled water is colder than surface water. In addition, we collect monthly measurements of salinity, temperature, and phytoplankton at 17 stations on the 21 meter isobath along the central coast using a CTD. This provides a monthly snapshot of oceanographic conditions -- in particular, primary productivity -- over a wider spatial scale.

Shoreline Research

Recruitment, Population Replenishment and Community Interactions The range of different oceanographic conditions within the PISCO-UCSC region allows us to carry out unique research into the influence of nearshore oceanography on rocky shore and kelp forest communities. Physical processes may govern the onshore transport of larvae and hence rate of replenishment of reef populations, whereas biotic processes such as productivity levels may govern growth rates and survivorship of larvae.

Shoreline measures of larval recruitment to populations of algae, invertebrates and fishes allow us to link patterns of population replenishment with nearshore larval supply and oceanographic conditions. We monitor mussel and barnacle recruitment and population dynamics at 12 rocky shore sites from Pigeon Point, north of Monterey Bay, to Mill Creek along the Big Sur coast. We monitor recruitment and population dynamics of giant kelp, Pterygophora, sea urchins, and rockfish at 12 sites; our five core sites with oceanographic equipment plus seven additional sites. Our sites are strategially placed inside and adjacent to existing marine reserves at Hopkins Marine Station, Point Lobos and Big Creek.

In combination, these ecological and nearshore oceanographic information sources allow us to understand how coastal currents influence species interactions and the species composition and dynamics of rocky shore and kelp forest communities.

Studies within Marine Reserves

There are three no-take marine reserves within the central California region: Hopkins Marine Life Refuge, Point Lobos State Reserve and Big Creek Ecological Reserve. These reserves provide us with an opportunity to examine the consequences of protection on reef fish populations and shallow rocky reef ecosystems. We have established long-term sampling sites within and adjacent to each of these reserves. We will explore relationships between reserves, patterns of larval production and transport, and the genetic structure of populations. Much of this work is conducted in close collaboration with PISCO-UCSB.

Marine Population Genetics

PISCO-UCSC is working closely with our partner institutions to study the physical and ecological processes that create and maintain genetic structure in populations of rocky shore invertebrates and fishes, along with kelp forest fishes, invertebrates and macroalgae. At present, we are focusing on two model species of nearshore rockfishes, the blue and kelp rockfish, in collaboration with Dr. Giacomo Bernardi, a PISCO senior fellow. We are also examining the genetic structure of California sea mussel populations at biogeographic scales in collaboration with senior fellow Dr. Grant Pogson.