The researcher will quantify key attributes of species populations, communities and environ mental variables associated with kelp forest ecosystems within and outside of the Central Coast MPAs. The survey design and sampling protocols have been modeled after the large-scale, long-term kelp forest monitoring program developed by the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) and incorporated into the Cooperative Research and Assessment of Nearshore Ecosystems (CRANE) program. As in the CRANE program, this project uses divers to visually survey kelp forests for fishes, invertebrates and algae. The data will make it possible to study changes in fish and invertebrate abundance and diversity, as well as changes in the distribution and abundance of kelp itself.