Workgroup reconvened to develop biological indicators for assessing California rocky intertidal health

SCCWRP has helped reconvene a statewide expert workgroup on rocky intertidal areas to reach agreement on how to assess the condition of this coastal habitat in California using biological indicators – a key step in an ongoing effort to develop a management-friendly report card for this habitat’s health.

The Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINe), led by the University of California, Santa Cruz, met from August to September to reach consensus on a set of biological indicators for tracking how organisms in rocky intertidal areas respond to climate- and health-related stressors, including changing ocean temperature and diseases.

MARINe provided expert local knowledge and familiarity of the 70+ rocky intertidal outcroppings along the California coast.

The agreed-upon indicators will be used to develop the rocky intertidal portion of an ocean health report card, set to be published in late 2025 to provide coastal managers with comprehensive annual snapshots about the condition of multiple facets of ocean health.