Study Sites

We have drawn on an extensive, multi-year database of biota and physical characteristics of 64 sites in Puget Sound to choose the appropriate study sites and to generalize our results.

All experiments are conducted at 9 sites, chosen from those sampled during our long-term monitoring program (Dethier and Schoch 2000). To examine patterns at larger spatial scales, we are comparing 3 broadly separated regions in the Sound. Thus we sample at 3 sites in north-central Puget Sound (Carkeek), 3 in south-central (Brown), and 3 in south Sound (Budd). The 3 replicate beaches are within 10 km of each other and have shared geophysical characteristics. We have been sampling all sites since 1999 on a regular basis and thus for which we have excellent data on community structure and interannual variability. All have similar substrate types, although the more southern sites have lower wave exposure and a correspondingly higher proportion of sand. The beaches chosen have low public access to minimize disturbance to experiments.