abundance of red sea urchins increases to 

 over 1/m 2 . Striped surfperch, Embiotoca 

 lateralis , are abundant at this site 

 (Cowen 1979), but other fishes have not 

 been studied. 



We noted an increase in sea otter 

 abundance and a decline in red sea urchins 

 at both Sandhill Bluff and Greyhound Rock 

 during qualitative surveys in August, 

 1983. Whether this decline was associated 

 with the severe storms in winter 1982-83, 

 sea otter foraging, or some other cause is 

 unknown. 



3.3.1.3 Point Cabrillo kelp forest . 

 This forest, located in southern Monterey 

 Bay off Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific 

 Grove (Figure 8), has been extensively 

 studied (Lowry and Pearse 1973, Miller and 

 Geibel 1973, Devinny and Kirkwood 1974, 

 Pearse and Lowry 1974, Lowry et al. 1974, 

 Harrold 1981, Riedman et al. 1981, Breda 

 1982, Hines 1982, Hines and Pearse 1982, 

 Fadlallah 1983, Watanabe 1983, 1984a, b). 

 Seventy-seven species of algae, 292 

 species of invertebrates, 59 species of 

 fishes, and various birds and mammals 

 including the sea otter and herbor seals 

 occur at Point Cabrillo (Miller and Geibel 

 1973, Pearse and Lowry 1974). The surface 

 canopy is Macrocystis pyrifera and 

 Cystoseira osmundacea that grows attached 

 to large granite outcrops and boulders in 

 an area very protected from swells (Figure 

 9). 



Here, Macrocystis grows in very shal- 

 low water (~ 3 m). Extensive beds of surf 

 grass, Phyl lospadix spp. , patches of the 

 feather boa kelp Egregia menziesi i , and 

 in summer, dense masses of the floating 

 reproductive fronds of Cystoseira 

 osmundacea occur inshore of the giant 

 kelp; C. osmundacea also occurs 

 intermixed with Macrocystis out to 14 m 

 (Schiel in press a). Beyond 14 m, the 

 rock is replaced by sand, with abundant 

 tube-dwelling polychaetes ( Diopatra 

 ornata), and sea anemones ( Pachycerianthus 



The kelp Dictyoneuropsis reticulata 

 forms a sparse understory beneath the 

 surface canopy, and the bottom is 

 dominated by the foliose red algae 

 Gigartina corymbifera , Rhodymenia spp., 

 Botryocladia pseudodichot.om a, Prionitis 



lanceolata and encrusting corallines. 

 Sponges, tunicates, anemones, bryozoans, 

 hydroids, and solitary corals are common, 

 particularly on the sides of rocks. 

 Spider crabs occupy a number of different 

 subhabitats in the forest (Hines 1982), 

 and various turban snails ( Tegula spp., 

 Cal liostoma spp.) are abundant, especially 

 on the algae (Lowry et al. 1974). Red and 

 purple sea urchins and abalone ( Haliotis 

 rufescens and H_. walal lensis ) are common 

 in crevices (Lowry and Pearse 1973). A 

 variety of sea stars is found in this kelp 

 forest (Harrold 1981), with Patiria 

 miniata most abundant. Miller and Geibel 

 (1973) described the fishes at Point 

 Cabrillo in 1969 and 1970. The most 

 abundant were juvenile rockfish, followed 

 by adult blue rockfish. Other common 

 species included kelp bass; striped, pile, 

 black, and rainbow surfperch; kelp 

 rockfish; greenling; and senorita. 



3.3.1.4 Stillwater Cove . This stand 

 of giant kelp is located inside Carmel Bay 

 about 5 km south of Monterey (Figure 8). 

 The site has been described by Andrews 

 (1945), Foster et al. (1979a, b), Foster 

 (1982a), and Reed and Foster (1984). It 

 faces south and is thus protected from 

 northwest swells. The conglomerate and 

 sandstone bottom is a mosaic of plateaus 

 and pinnacles surrounded by relatively 

 flat rock or fields of small boulders. 

 One stand of Macrocystis inteqri folia 

 occurs from the lower intertidal to a 

 depth of ~ 1 m (Figure 9). Both 

 Cystoseira osmundacea and Egregia 

 menziesi i occur with M. integri folia and 

 seaward into the M. pyrifera forest. The 

 understory kelp Laminaria setchellii 

 occurs in patches down to ~ 7 m, and 

 bottom cover plants in shallow water 

 include the brown alga Dictyota 

 binghamiae , the articulated corallines 

 Calliarthron chei losporoides and C. 

 tuberculosum , and encrusting corallines. 



Macrocystis pyrifera occurs at depths 

 between 2 and 30 m, terminating at a sand 

 bottom in deep water. Beneath the 

 Macrocystis are dense stands of the under- 

 story kelp Pterygophora cal ifornica . 

 These plants are large (over 1 m tall), 

 and particularly abundant on the tops of 

 plateaus (Reed and Foster 1984). 

 Articulated ( Calliarthron tuberculosum , 



27 



