http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset/990987
eng; USA
utf8
dataset
Highest level of data collection, from a common set of sensors or instrumentation, usually within the same research project
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
pointOfContact
2026-01-05
ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata - Part 2: Extensions for Imagery and Gridded Data
ISO 19115-2:2009(E)
Predation rates by Pisaster ochraceus on Mytilus californianus along the Oregon and Northern California rocky intertidal coastline from 1999 to 2023
2026-05-15
publication
2026-05-15
revision
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI BCO-DMO)
2026-05-15
publication
https://doi.org/10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.990987.1
Bruce A. Menge
Oregon State University
principalInvestigator
Sarah Gravem
Oregon State University
principalInvestigator
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
publisher
Cite this dataset as: Gravem, S., Menge, B. A. (2026) Predation rates by Pisaster ochraceus on Mytilus californianus along the Oregon and Northern California rocky intertidal coastline from 1999 to 2023. Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). (Version 1) Version Date 2026-01-30 [if applicable, indicate subset used]. doi:10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.990987.1 [access date]
Dataset Description: <p>This time series was funded in conjunction with the Long Term Research in Environmental Biology [LTREB] program including the LTREB project listed on this page (Award DEB-2050017) and prior awards (Award DEB-1050694,DEB-1554702).<br />
<br />
Organism identifiers (Life Science Identifiers, LSIDs):<br />
Mytilus californianus, urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:367837<br />
Pisaster ochraceus,&nbsp;urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:240755<br />
Pisaster,&nbsp;urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:240754</p> Methods and Sampling: <p>As detailed previously (Menge et al. 2004, 2016, 2023), we quantified field predation rates by determining loss rate of transplanted mussels exposed to sea stars compared to mussels protected from sea stars. Replicated experiments were conducted at all sites except Tokatee Klootchman, and each year 2007-2023, except for Rocky Point which began in 2016. In March-April each year, we translocated 10 clumps of 30-50 mussels ranging in shell length from 3-5 cm (easily eaten by adult <em>Pisaster</em>) to plots within the foraging range of <em>Pisaster </em>near the mid-low zone transition, just below the existing mussel beds. After 4-6 weeks of allowing them to reattach under plastic mesh, we removed the plastic mesh. We then fastened wire mesh open-topped 4-sided cages around 5 plots to prevent predation by <em>Pisaster</em> and fastened 2-sided partial cages next to 5 plots to allow predation, with spatially paired replicates of each treatment. We monitored the number of surviving mussels every 2-4 weeks from ~June-December of each year, thus encompassing the period of most active predation. To calculate predation rates, after adjusting for background mortality in exclusion cages, we regressed the number of mussels over time in each plot and used the slope as an estimate of predation rate (in +<em>Pisaster </em>treatments) or background mortality (in -<em>Pisaster</em> treatments). We excluded time points after the first zero (i.e., when all mussels had been eaten), when mussels increased by more than 3 (these are counting errors), or when the number of mussels dropped by more than 5 while the plot was either buried in sand, a cage was missing, or a sea star invaded the cage.</p>
Funding provided by NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) Award Number: OCE-1448913 Award URL: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award?AWD_ID=1448913
Funding provided by NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) Award Number: OCE-1735911 Award URL: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award?AWD_ID=1735911
Funding provided by NSF Division of Environmental Biology (NSF DEB) Award Number: DEB-2050017 Award URL: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award?AWD_ID=2050017
Funding provided by NSF Division of Environmental Biology (NSF DEB) Award Number: DEB-1554702 Award URL: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=1554702
Funding provided by NSF Division of Environmental Biology (NSF DEB) Award Number: DEB-1050694 Award URL: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=1050694
completed
Bruce A. Menge
Oregon State University
541-737-5358
Department of Integrative Biology 4575 SW Research Way
Corvallis
OR
97333
USA
mengeb@oregonstate.edu
pointOfContact
Sarah Gravem
Oregon State University
sgravem@calpoly.edu
pointOfContact
asNeeded
Dataset Version: 1
Unknown
GroupCode
SiteCode
Site
Latitude
Longitude
Cape
Region
State
Year
Month
Day
Date
StartDate
DaysSinceStart
YearStart
Exposure
Zone
Rep
Treatment
PisTreatment
PlotTimeline
PlotStatus
MusselsAtStart
Count_LiveMussels
PropMussRemaining
Change_Mussels
MusselsAtEnd
TotalMussKilled
N_Observations
StarSearch_Count
StarSearch_Area_m2
LocalStarDens_m2
PISOCH_InCC
PISOCH_Count_InPlot
theme
None, User defined
site description
region
year
month of year
day of month
date
time_elapsed
sample description
replicate
treatment
count
area_measured
density
featureType
BCO-DMO Standard Parameters
otherRestrictions
otherRestrictions
Access Constraints: none. Use Constraints: Please follow guidelines at: http://www.bco-dmo.org/terms-use Distribution liability: Under no circumstances shall BCO-DMO be liable for any direct, incidental, special, consequential, indirect, or punitive damages that result from the use of, or the inability to use, the materials in this data submission. If you are dissatisfied with any materials in this data submission your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue use.
Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans
http://www.piscoweb.org/
Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans
The Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans is a long-term ecosystem research and monitoring program established with the goals of:
understanding dynamics of the coastal ocean ecosystem along the U.S. west coast
sharing that knowledge so ocean managers and policy makers can make science based decisions regarding coastal and marine stewardship
producing a new generation of scientists trained in interdisciplinary collaborative approaches
Over the last 10 years, PISCO has successfully built a unique research program that combines complementary disciplines to answer critical environmental questions and inform management and policy. Activities are conducted at the latitudinal scale of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem along the west coast of North America, but anchored around the dynamics of coastal, hardbottom habitats and the oceanography of the nearshore ocean – among the most productive and diverse components of this ecosystem. The program integrates studies of changes in the ocean environment through ecological monitoring and experiments. Scientists examine the causes and consequences of ecosystem changes over spatial scales that are the most relevant to marine species and management, but largely unstudied elsewhere.
Findings are linked to solutions through a growing portfolio of tools for policy and management decisions. The time from scientific discovery to policy change is greatly reduced by coordinated, efficient links between scientists and key decision makers.
Core elements of PISCO are:
Interdisciplinary ecosystem science
Data archiving and sharing
Outreach to public and decision-making user groups
Interdisciplinary training
Coordination of distributed research team
Established in 1999 with funding from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, PISCO is led by scientists from core campuses Oregon State University (OSU); Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station; University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC); and University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Collaborators from other institutions also contribute to leadership and development of PISCO programs. As of 2005, core PISCO activities are funded by collaborative grants from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Core support, along with additional funding from diverse public and private sources, make this unique partnership possible.
PISCO
largerWorkCitation
program
Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans
http://www.piscoweb.org/
Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans
The Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans is a long-term ecosystem research and monitoring program established with the goals of:
understanding dynamics of the coastal ocean ecosystem along the U.S. west coast
sharing that knowledge so ocean managers and policy makers can make science based decisions regarding coastal and marine stewardship
producing a new generation of scientists trained in interdisciplinary collaborative approaches
Over the last 10 years, PISCO has successfully built a unique research program that combines complementary disciplines to answer critical environmental questions and inform management and policy. Activities are conducted at the latitudinal scale of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem along the west coast of North America, but anchored around the dynamics of coastal, hardbottom habitats and the oceanography of the nearshore ocean – among the most productive and diverse components of this ecosystem. The program integrates studies of changes in the ocean environment through ecological monitoring and experiments. Scientists examine the causes and consequences of ecosystem changes over spatial scales that are the most relevant to marine species and management, but largely unstudied elsewhere.
Findings are linked to solutions through a growing portfolio of tools for policy and management decisions. The time from scientific discovery to policy change is greatly reduced by coordinated, efficient links between scientists and key decision makers.
Core elements of PISCO are:
Interdisciplinary ecosystem science
Data archiving and sharing
Outreach to public and decision-making user groups
Interdisciplinary training
Coordination of distributed research team
Established in 1999 with funding from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, PISCO is led by scientists from core campuses Oregon State University (OSU); Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station; University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC); and University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Collaborators from other institutions also contribute to leadership and development of PISCO programs. As of 2005, core PISCO activities are funded by collaborative grants from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Core support, along with additional funding from diverse public and private sources, make this unique partnership possible.
PISCO
largerWorkCitation
program
Long Term Research in Environmental Biology
https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/ltreb-long-term-research-environmental-biology
Long Term Research in Environmental Biology
Long Term Research in Environmental Biology (LTREB)
Supports research for a period of 10 years or longer to generate an extended time series of data with a focus on evolutionary biology, ecology and ecosystem science.
Synopsis
The Long Term Research in Environmental Biology (LTREB) Program supports the generation of extended time series of data to address important questions in evolutionary biology, ecology, and ecosystem science. Research areas include, but are not limited to, the effects of natural selection or other evolutionary processes on populations, communities, or ecosystems; the effects of interspecific interactions that vary over time and space; population or community dynamics for organisms that have extended life spans and long turnover times; feedbacks between ecological and evolutionary processes; pools of materials such as nutrients in soils that turn over at intermediate to longer time scales; and external forcing functions such as climatic cycles that operate over long return intervals.
LTREB
largerWorkCitation
program
RAPID: Testing the rocky intertidal community consequences of the decimation of purple sea star populations along the Oregon coast by sea star wasting disease
http://www.eeb.ucsc.edu/pacificrockyintertidal/data-products/sea-star-wasting/
RAPID: Testing the rocky intertidal community consequences of the decimation of purple sea star populations along the Oregon coast by sea star wasting disease
<p>This study will investigate the ecological consequences of the decimation of sea star populations by wasting disease along the Oregon coast. Hallmarks of wasting disease are the formation of sores on the sea star that progress to cause loss of arms, and ultimately death of the animal. Wasting disease was reported in sea star populations including those of the purple sea star, Pisaster ochraceus, in British Columbia, Washington, and California as early as April 2013. In Oregon, wasting was first observed in April 2014, and by June 2014 rates of infection ranged up to 80%, and sea star abundance had declined. At that rate, many populations may disappear by the end of summer 2014. Prior research has shown that in the absence of the purple sea star, mid-shore mussel populations increase, and ultimately overgrow the sea weeds and invertebrates that occur low on the shore, reducing biodiversity. However, because disease events of this magnitude have never occurred along the entire coastline, it is unclear if the small-scale expansion of mussels observed previously will be a general result of this event. One possibility is that predators unaffected by wasting, such as whelks and crabs, will increase their predation effects and blunt the expected invasion of mussels to the low shore. The research in this project will evaluate this possibility by testing the role of these alternative predators. Broader Impacts include the training of undergraduate and graduate students, the involvement of coastal residents and the production of microdocumentaries and video to document the changing context of this ecosystem.</p>
<p>The research project is designed to test three hypotheses. First, that in the absence of Pisaster ochraceus, predation by whelks will increase in strength through increases in whelk abundance and in whelk size, and at least partially compensate for the absence of Pisaster. Second, the small sea star Leptasterias spp. will also expand its role as a predator through increased size and abundance, and expansion of its habitat beyond mussel beds. Although individuals of this sea star have been observed to suffer from wasting as well, the frequency so far appears low, and it seems likely this species may persist. Third, the crab Cancer productus, normally mostly a subtidal species, will expand its range into the intertidal and help to compensate for the loss of Pisaster. Tests of these hypotheses will include manual removal experiments (whelk removal, Leptasterias removal, removal of both and of neither), cage exclusion experiments (whelk exclusions), cage inclusion-exclusion experiments (Leptasterias inclusion, Leptasterias exclusion). Experiments will be replicated with appropriate controls, and done at multiple sites on the central Oregon coast that vary naturally in population abundances, rates of prey and predator recruitment, and oceanographic conditions. Results obtained under this unprecedented set of circumstances will deepen and expand our empirical understanding of the dynamics of an iconic ecosystem, and will help parameterize community models.</p>
<p><strong>Additional Project Information: </strong><a href="http://data.piscoweb.org/marine1/seastardisease.html" target="_blank">Sea Star Wasting Map</a></p>
Sea star wasting
largerWorkCitation
project
Collaborative Research: Mechanisms of resistance and resilience to system-wide loss of a keystone predator in an iconic intertidal community
http://pacificrockyintertidal.org
Collaborative Research: Mechanisms of resistance and resilience to system-wide loss of a keystone predator in an iconic intertidal community
<p>This project is affiliated with the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) and Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINe).</p>
<p>NSF abstract:</p>
<p>Diseases that compromise the health of predators can lead to large, abrupt and sometimes unexpected changes in the structure of ecosystems. This project will combine field surveys, manipulative experiments and mathematical models to both understand and predict the ecosystem-level effects of the unprecedented sea star wasting disease (SSWD) outbreak that devastated populations of Pisaster ochraceus, a critical predator, across the West Coast of the United States. Specifically, the project will determine (1) the ecological and environmental factors that promote vs. compromise the resilience of intertidal ecosystems to sea star wasting disease, (2) document the pace and extent of recovery from this major disturbance across the West Coast of the United States, and (3) identify hotspots of resilience to sea star wasting disease that may serve as important conservation targets to preserve these iconic ecosystems. The research will address important societal needs by cross-training undergraduate and graduate students in disease ecology, marine biology, mathematical modeling and biostatistics. Students from underrepresented groups will be recruited broadly from West Coast states. Each summer, four undergraduate students will be trained in rocky intertidal field research techniques. SSWD-focused modules will be developed and used in ecology courses at each institution to emphasize the importance of quantitative and interdisciplinary training for addressing important questions in biology. Graduate students will work with the Oregon Migrant Leadership Institute (OMLI) for migrant workers and their children to create workshops for students about SSWD. The PIs will continue interacting with the media and public groups, and will expand outreach activities through The Nature Conservancy and CoastWatch-sponsored workshops for high school teachers interested in involving students in sea star monitoring to ensure that the results of this project are disseminated beyond traditional academic circles. Finally, a series of model-based interactive web modules will be created as part of this project to illustrate the ecosystem-level effects of sea star wasting disease to the broader public. The studies on this model system will lead to a better understanding of how other ecosystems may resist or be vulnerable to human activities (e.g., fishing, hunting and habitat destruction) that asymmetrically influence top predators.</p>
<p>Diseases that threaten the health of predators can reduce their top-down influence and thus lead to significant changes in ecosystem structure. In 2013-15, sea star wasting disease (SSWD) devastated populations of Pisaster ochraceus, the original keystone predator, along the west coast of North America in one of the most extensive marine disease events ever recorded. This project will leverage this unprecedented outbreak to test and extend keystone predation theory by documenting and explaining the temporal pace, geographical extent, and spatiotemporal co-occurrence of ecosystem recovery from SSWD. The disease event also provides an opportunity to test the resistance and resilience of a well-studied ecosystem at an unprecedented scale. At each of 14 sites, the investigators will quantify processes that underlie potential resistance of the system to loss of sea stars (prey recruitment and colonization, mussel growth, predation intensity, facilitative interactions among sessile organisms, and the effect of alternative predators). In the latter experiments, the PIs will conduct caging exclusion experiments to test the effects of both larger (e.g., birds) and smaller (e.g., whelks) alternative predators on prey recolonization of cleared plots. The investigators will also conduct a novel set of experiments to manipulate factors affecting facilitation of mussels by barnacles and turf-forming algae. All these empirical studies will be used to parameterize modeling efforts that will explore the longer-term and larger-scale implications of these processes, both for this system and for other ecosystems. Specifically, the PIs will fit a novel spatially-explicit metacommunity model to the empirical data in order to determine the relative importance of intraspecific and interspecific resistance vs. resilience mechanisms for the recovery of intertidal ecosystems following a historical, coastal-scale SSWD disturbance.</p>
Keystone Species Loss
largerWorkCitation
project
LTREB: Testing tipping points in a model rocky intertidal meta-ecosystem – Climate-change, increasing variances, and response mechanisms
https://osprey.bco-dmo.org/project/865695
LTREB: Testing tipping points in a model rocky intertidal meta-ecosystem – Climate-change, increasing variances, and response mechanisms
<p>NSF abstract:</p>
<p>In recent decades, ocean ecosystems, long thought to be immune to change, have undergone disruptions to their structure, diversity, and geographic range, yet the actual underlying reasons for such changes in oceanic biota are often unclear. Coastal intertidal zones (i.e., the shore between high and low tides) have long served as important ecological model systems because of advantages in accessibility and ease of observation, occupancy by easily studied and manipulated organisms of relatively short lifespans, and exposure to often severe environmental conditions. This research will address the stability of a well-known rocky shore system along the Oregon and California coasts. Prior long-term research indicates that, although casual observation suggests these systems are stable, in fact, they may be on the cusp of shifting into another state, losing iconic organisms like mussels and sea stars, and becoming dominated by seaweeds. These changes might be comparable to losing trees and large predators from terrestrial systems. This study would result in the training of undergraduates and graduate students, including individuals from under-represented groups. Additionally, this study would include outreach to the general public.</p>
<p>The researchers will focus particularly on impacts of increasing and more variable warming on community recovery. For example, climate oscillations (e.g., El Niño), coastal upwelling, and particularly temperature have all changed in recent decades in ways leading to increased stress on intertidal biota. In apparent response, coastal ecosystems evidently have become less productive, organismal performance (growth, reproduction) has declined, and key dynamical processes (species interactions) have weakened. The new research will pursue these strong hints of an impending “tipping point” by (1) continuing the projects that led to the insights of increasing instability, (2) adding new projects that will pinpoint ecological changes, and (3) expanding the region of work to include locations in California. Research will assess whether or not sea stars recover from wasting disease, experimentally test if species interactions are indeed weakening, quantify the annual inputs of new prey and changes in abundance, diversity, stability, and resilience of intertidal communities, and document changes in the physical environment. Using field observations and experiments, the research will provide insight into impacts of environmental change, particularly warming, on the future of coastal ecosystems, and more generally, into possible future states of Earth’s ecosystems. Using these data, we will test the hypothesis that direct and indirect effects of climate change are driving, or may drive these systems into new, alternative states.</p>
<p>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.</p>
LTREB Intertidal Tipping Points
largerWorkCitation
project
eng; USA
oceans
-124.56512
-123.07365
38.31819916
44.83863831
1999-06-14
2023-06-21
From projects that focused on the following 3 locations: 1. Oregon coast 2. Temperate west coast of North America 3. West coast of North America
0
BCO-DMO catalogue of parameters from Predation rates by Pisaster ochraceus on Mytilus californianus along the Oregon and Northern California rocky intertidal coastline from 1999 to 2023
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
pointOfContact
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993337.rdf
Name: GroupCode
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Research group that collected field data. [ usually OSU, other options are UCSC, UCSB, CON (Concordia), or LiMPETS]</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993338.rdf
Name: SiteCode
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Site code. See sitelist_stars.csv and ValidationList.txt.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993339.rdf
Name: Site
Units: unitless
Description: <p>site name. [ See Site List]</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993340.rdf
Name: Latitude
Units: decimal degrees
Description: <p>Latitude.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993341.rdf
Name: Longitude
Units: decimal degrees
Description: <p>Longitude.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993342.rdf
Name: Cape
Units: unitless
Description: <p>cape or headland of site.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993343.rdf
Name: Region
Units: unitless
Description: <p>region of site.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993344.rdf
Name: State
Units: unitless
Description: <p>state of site.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993345.rdf
Name: Year
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Year of count. [ Formula =YEAR(Date)]</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993346.rdf
Name: Month
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Month of count. [ Formula =YEAR(Month)]</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993347.rdf
Name: Day
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Day of count.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993348.rdf
Name: Date
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Date of count.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993349.rdf
Name: StartDate
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Start Date of the plot and deployment Year. [ Matches date of PredRate_Field, Activity Code Started in Data Inventory]</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993350.rdf
Name: DaysSinceStart
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Days elapsed since start. [ Formula =Date-StartDate]</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993351.rdf
Name: YearStart
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Year started. Usually in early summer when vexar removed and cages deployed. [ Formula=Year(StartDate)]</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993352.rdf
Name: Exposure
Units: unitless
Description: <p>E for this experiment. [ E or P for Exposed or Protected]</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993353.rdf
Name: Zone
Units: unitless
Description: <p>L for this experiment. [ H, M or L, for High Mid or Low]</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993354.rdf
Name: Rep
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Replicate. [ Integer 1-5. Usually two treatment plots per rep. [ANTIQUATED: Rep eg 1b and 1c represent a plot that reached zero and was restarted in the same field season]]</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993355.rdf
Name: Treatment
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Complete cage for Pisaster exclusion (sometimes called open cage or cage) or partial cage for Pisaster access (sometimes called fence). [ Complete cage or Partial cage]</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993356.rdf
Name: PisTreatment
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Pisaster excluded. Pisaster present.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993357.rdf
Name: PlotTimeline
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Describes timeline of experiment. Start= vexar removed and first count is done. Monitoring = monthly counts of mussels. End = first observation of 0 mussels in a PlotYear. Inactive = subsequent observations of 0 mussels in a PlotYear.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993358.rdf
Name: PlotStatus
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Describes whether the experiment is active by individual plot and time point. From initial to final count the plot is considered active, after the final count the plot is inactive.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993359.rdf
Name: MusselsAtStart
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Mussels Present at start of experiment.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993360.rdf
Name: Count_LiveMussels
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Count of live mussels in plot on Date. Disregard small mussel recruits. [ Integer < 55]</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993361.rdf
Name: PropMussRemaining
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Proportion mussels alive compared to mussels at start. [ Integer < 55]</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993362.rdf
Name: Change_Mussels
Units: count
Description: <p>Change in mussels since last observation.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993363.rdf
Name: MusselsAtEnd
Units: count
Description: <p>Mussels Present at end of experiment.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993364.rdf
Name: TotalMussKilled
Units: count
Description: <p>Mussels at start vs end of experiment.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993365.rdf
Name: N_Observations
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Number of times the plot was surveyed.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993366.rdf
Name: StarSearch_Count
Units: count
Description: <p>Number of adult Pisaster o. found in a specified search radius around pred rate plot. Stars must be at least 10cm in diameter to be considered adult. If star search counts were not done use NA.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993367.rdf
Name: StarSearch_Area_m2
Units: meters squared (m2)
Description: <p>Record the search area of the star search in meters squared. OR search is a 1m radius or 3.14m2 search area. CA search is a 2m radius or 12.57m2 search area. If star search counts were not done use NA.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993368.rdf
Name: LocalStarDens_m2
Units: stars per square meter squared (#/m2)
Description: <p>Density of Stars near the plot per m2.</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993369.rdf
Name: PISOCH_InCC
Units: unitless
Description: <p>Enter Y for presence of adult Pisaster within complete cage plots ONLY. Used to determine Plot timeline and status. Data recorded in notes section of field datasheets. Assume no stars in complete cage unless noted. If no information OR for partial cages leave blank. [ Y]</p>
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset-parameter/993370.rdf
Name: PISOCH_Count_InPlot
Units: count
Description: <p>Total number of Pisaster in the plot itself</p>
GB/NERC/BODC > British Oceanographic Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, United Kingdom
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
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508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
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https://doi.org/10.26008/1912/bco-dmo.990987.1
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<p>As detailed previously (Menge et al. 2004, 2016, 2023), we quantified field predation rates by determining loss rate of transplanted mussels exposed to sea stars compared to mussels protected from sea stars. Replicated experiments were conducted at all sites except Tokatee Klootchman, and each year 2007-2023, except for Rocky Point which began in 2016. In March-April each year, we translocated 10 clumps of 30-50 mussels ranging in shell length from 3-5 cm (easily eaten by adult <em>Pisaster</em>) to plots within the foraging range of <em>Pisaster </em>near the mid-low zone transition, just below the existing mussel beds. After 4-6 weeks of allowing them to reattach under plastic mesh, we removed the plastic mesh. We then fastened wire mesh open-topped 4-sided cages around 5 plots to prevent predation by <em>Pisaster</em> and fastened 2-sided partial cages next to 5 plots to allow predation, with spatially paired replicates of each treatment. We monitored the number of surviving mussels every 2-4 weeks from ~June-December of each year, thus encompassing the period of most active predation. To calculate predation rates, after adjusting for background mortality in exclusion cages, we regressed the number of mussels over time in each plot and used the slope as an estimate of predation rate (in +<em>Pisaster </em>treatments) or background mortality (in -<em>Pisaster</em> treatments). We excluded time points after the first zero (i.e., when all mussels had been eaten), when mussels increased by more than 3 (these are counting errors), or when the number of mussels dropped by more than 5 while the plot was either buried in sand, a cage was missing, or a sea star invaded the cage.</p>
Specified by the Principal Investigator(s)
* sheet 1 within the submitted file "BCODMO_PredRateMaster_1990-2023_2024-09-11_SAG.xlsx" (file version uploaded 2026-05-07) was imported into the BCO-DMO data system for this dataset. Values "NA" imported as missing data values. Table will appear as Data File: 990987_v1_predation-rates.csv (along with other download format options).
Missing Data Identifiers:
* In the BCO-DMO data system missing data identifiers are displayed according to the format of data you access. For example, in csv files it will be blank (null) values. In Matlab .mat files it will be NaN values. When viewing data online at BCO-DMO, the missing value will be shown as blank (null) values.
* Column names in the supplemental table were adjusted to conform to BCO-DMO naming conventions designed to support broad re-use by a variety of research tools and scripting languages. [Only numbers, letters, and underscores. Can not start with a number]
* Dates converted to ISO 8601 format
Supplemental files:
* Site list exported from supplied SiteList_STARS.xlsx(version from 2026-05-11) Sheet1 after changing date format to ISO 8601. Attached to dataset as sitelist_stars.csv. Sheet2 contained column information which was added to the sitelist_stars.csv file description after modifications to match the data table (description for column "state" added, column name "LoggerCode_OSU" is "OldLoggerCode_OSU" in data table).
* Validation Lists extracted from sheet ValidationList in BCODMO_BTMasterAnnot_2000-2024_2025-03-06_SAG.xlsx. Reformatted to not imply this is a table but rather unique lists of controlled vocabulary elements the study used.
Specified by BCO-DMO Data Managers
asNeeded
7.x-1.1
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
pointOfContact