Kelp Forest Monitoring at Channel Islands National Park (CHIS) by the Mediterranean Coast Inventory and Monitoring Network (MEDN) 1982-2025 : Data Package

The Channel Islands National Park Kelp Forest Monitoring Program (KFM) is a long-term ecological monitoring initiative established in 1982 to assess the health and dynamics of kelp forest ecosystems at 33 sites across 5 islands off the coast of Southern California. The program systematically tracks over 70 species of algae, invertebrates, and fish using a suite of 12 underwater sampling techniques, including quadrats, transects, and visual surveys. This data package consists of 16 CSV files and an EML metadata file with data on monitoring events, study locations, and survey results for quadrats, invertebrate and fish transects, kelp/fish/invertebrate size frequencies, echinoderm disease, and invasive species recruitment. With over 40 years of data, KFM provides critical insights into species abundance, biodiversity, and ecosystem changes driven by natural variability, human impacts, and climate change. The program supports adaptive management and conservation efforts by offering scientifically rigorous, spatially extensive, and temporally consistent data, making it one of the most comprehensive marine monitoring efforts in the National Park Service.