180 



Fishery Bulletin 104(2) 





 30 





 20 





 15 





 20 





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01 23456789 10 

 Mean distance to nearest fish (m) 



Figure 10 



Mean nearest neighbor distances of fish species to 

 gorgonians, black corals, and sponges. 



relatively undisturbed megafaunal invertebrate commu- 

 nities in the southern California Borderlands, and sup- 

 ports the continued protection of these animals within 

 the Cowcod Conservation Areas. 



Acknowledgments 



We thank the dedicated crews of the RV Velero and Delta 

 for support in the field. D. Schroeder, M. Nishimoto, L. 

 Snook, T. Laidig, T.Anderson, R. Starr, B. Lea, and C. 

 Wahle assisted with the survey work. K. Greenwood 

 and S. Green assisted with habitat and invertebrate 

 analyses. Funding was provided by NOAA Fisheries, 

 SWFSC Fisheries Ecology Division, Offices of Habitat 

 Conservation and Protected Resources; the National 

 Undersea Research Program; NOAA Marine Protected 

 Area Science Center; the David and Lucile Packard 

 Foundation; Washington State University Vancouver; 

 and the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation. 



