Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Marine Botany

Kelp Coverage

Data

chart of data and sites

The IR photographs from the Graham et al. study were converted into black and white kelp coverage maps.  This is the data for the site A2 in the study from November 1985 through January 1989 data.zip (9.51 MB) .  Such kelp coverage maps have been employed to see seasonal and other effects on the kelp canopy.  Changes in the kelp coverage are often not the result of entire giant kelps being removed from that site.  The top layer of the canopy may have been pruned in winter storms.  This helps explain why canopy coverage in such maps can change drastically from month to month.  There were six sites in this study (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2) with varying wave exposure (Graham et al 1997).

Copyright 2001:  James Lopez

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