Install the screw anchor by inserting a rod through the eye and turning 

 it into the bottom. Determine the location of each sampling station 

 along the transect with a tape or marked line, and mark each with a 

 screw anchor. Thread a 3/8 -inch polypropylene line through the eyes of 

 the screw anchors along the transect to provide a lifeline and to help 

 keep the divers on station. A float attached to another line through 

 the eye of the seaward screw anchor will provide a visual aid to help 

 keep the screw on station. Place, two range posts on the upper beach to 

 assure that the divers stay on the transect, as longshore currents will 

 tend to drift them down current. After the transect has been established 

 survey the elevation of each of the sampling stations using the level, 

 tripod, and surveying rod. 



2. Sampling the Swash and Surf Zone . 



The swash zone and the upper surf zone usually include the intertidal 

 and the near subtidal areas. (Generally speaking, if you can stand up : 

 and breathe without scuba, you're in this zone.) This zone can be further 

 subdivided into two areas based on whether the area is covered with water 

 or is not usually covered with water, except for occasional swash (Fig. 1). 



If the area is not covered with water, sample the larger organisms 

 by excavating 0.12-square yard (0.1 square meter) quadrats with a trench- 

 ing shovel to a depth of at least 4 inches (10 centimeters), however, 8 

 inches (20 centimeters) is preferable (Fig. 5); sample the smaller orga- 

 nisms with a coring device (Fig. 6). Place the excavated material 

 directly in a sieve box (Fig. 5) or the core in a standard sieve. Place 

 the sieve in an area of nonbreaking waves and sieve the organisms by 

 allowing water through the bottom of the screen. Do not dip and pour 

 water directly into the sieve as this may contaminate the sample with 

 animals in the water. Presieved water may be used to wash the sample. 

 Place the part of the sample retained by the sieve in a labeled plastic 

 bag or a sample jar with preserving solution as described in Section VI. 

 This sampling technique can be used to the low tide line by following an 

 ebbing tide. However, a coring device (Fig. 6) is the only effective way 

 to quantitatively sample benthic organisms if the sampling station is 

 covered with 2 feet of churned -up water and is in or immediately adjacent 

 to an area of breaking waves. 



Directions for transferring the core sample from the bottom are given 

 below in the discussion of coring devices. 



3. Sampling the Near shore Zone . 



a. Airlift Dredge and Scuba . The nearshore zone (Fig. 1) can 

 be sampled using ah airlift (suction) dredge (Fig. 7) and scuba. The 

 water must be- 6 or more feet (2 or more meters) deep for an airlift 

 dredge to work efficiently. 



The dredge must be calibrated before use to collect a known volume of 

 sediment at a specific depth and air pressure. Calibrate by removing the 



