Rocky Intertidal Community Monitoring at Channel Islands National Park - 2004 Annual Report

Channel Islands National Park includes the five northern islands off the coast of southern California and the surrounding waters out one nautical mile. There is approximately 176 miles of coastline around the islands and most of it is rocky. The diversity and undisturbed nature of the tidepools of this rocky coastline was recognized as a special feature of the islands in the enabling legislation. In order to gain information to conserve these communities unimpaired for future generations, the NPS has been monitoring the rocky intertidal at the islands since 1982. This report summarizes the 2004 sampling year efforts (from March 2004 to January 2005) and findings of the Channel Islands National Park (CINP) Rocky Intertidal Monitoring Program.