Marine
Ecology
Survey Forms
Activity 4
Survey Form 1
Each team must fill out this form
This form gives the basic information on the general weather conditions and who the
team of surveyors involved in this transect and the number assigned to the transect.
Survey forms 2 – 4 are for recording the abundance of rocky shore organisms on the
shore. There are 3 levels of difficulty presented.
Survey Form 2
Level 1
Group the animals into major groups and record the numbers you find within each
quadrat for each level on the shore If you can identify any animals found within the
quadrant then record the names within the box provided.
Survey Form 3
Level 2
Good identification skills is required here to complete this survey form. This is a typical
survey sheet that a marine biologists would use. Animals are sectioned into groups and
their coverage within each quadrat recorded. [These abundance scales are particularly
useful for the study of abundance of a species along a stretch of coast., around an island
or along a headland]
Survey Form 4
Level 3
Good seaweed identification skills are required to complete this survey sheet as the seaweeds need to be identified into the different species and their percentage cover coverage within each quadrat recorded.
[N.B. Students with weak identification skills can also fill out survey form 4 by attributing percentage
cover to the three different colours of seaweed found i.e. red, brown and green]
Survey Form 5
This is a very simple abundance experiment to show the level of exposure along a transect on the shore i.e. the more limpets present the greater level of exposure.
Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning EU Network of Excellence
Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems
GOCE-CT-2003-505446
Marine
Ecology
Intertidal
Survey
Activity 4
Field survey form 1
School Name _______________________
Surveyor names ___________________________
___________________________________________
Location ____________________
Date __________
Predicted Low Tide _________________
(from Tide Chart - Internet)
Transect # _________
Start time ________ End time _________
General Weather Conditions _____________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Marine Biologist (Assistant) _________________
Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning EU Network of Excellence
Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems
GOCE-CT-2003-505446
Marine
Ecology
Intertidal
Survey
LEVEL 1
Activity 4
Field survey form 2
Transect_____
Abundance scale for rocky shore organisms
FAUNA
Name the species you
found
(upper shore) (Mid-shore)
Quadrat 1
Quadrat 2
Record the
numbers you find
Crustaceans
(crabs, amphipods,
shrimp, barnacles)
Molluscs
(snails, clams,
winkles, topshells,
slugs, oysters)
Other
(fish, worms,
anemones, sea
urchins, starfish,
Sponges,
bryozoans etc.)
Key:
A = Abundant C = Common
O = Occasional N = Not found
Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning EU Network of Excellence
Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems
GOCE-CT-2003-505446
(lower shore)
Quadrat 3
Intertidal
Survey
Marine
Ecology
LEVEL 2
Field survey form 3
Activity 4
Transect_____
Abundance scale for rocky shore organisms
(upper shore) (Mid-shore)
Quadrat 1
Quadrat 2
Barnacles
(small)
E. > 5cm-2
S. 3-5cm-2
A. >1cm-2 (rocks well covered)
C. 0.1-1cm-2 (1/3 rock covered)
F. 100-1000 m-2
O. 1 - 100 m-2
R. Few found
Limpets
E. > 200 m-2
S. 100 - 200m-2
A. >50 m-2
C. 10– 50 m-2
F. 1- 10 m-2
O. <1 m-2
R. Few found
Dogwhelks,
Topshells,
Anemones &
Sea Urchins
E. > 100 m-2
S. 50 - 90m-2
A. >10 m-2
C. 1– 10 m-2
F. <1 m-2 (locally sometimes more)
O. <1 m-2 (always)
R. 1 or 2 found (30 min search)
Littorina littorea
(winkles)
E. > 200 m-2
S. 100 - 200m-2
A. >50 m-2
C. 10– 50 m-2
F. 1- 10 m-2
O. <1 m-2
R. 1 or 2 found (30 min search)
Mussels &
Sabellaria
(fanworms)
E. > 80% cover
S. 50-79% cover
A. >20% cover
C. Large patches
F. Scattered individuals (small patches)
O. Scattered individuals (no patches)
R. Few seen
Algae
(seaweeds)
E. > 90% cover
S. 60-90% cover
A. >30% cover
C. 5-60% cover
F. <5% cover
O. Scattered individuals
R. Few plants
Key: E = Extremely abundant
F = Frequent
S = Superabundant
O = Occasional
A = Abundant
R = Rare
(lower shore)
Quadrat 3
C = common
N = Not found (all cases)
Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning EU Network of Excellence
Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems
GOCE-CT-2003-505446
Marine
Ecology
Intertidal
Survey
LEVEL 3
Activity 4
Field survey form 4
Transect_____
Abundance scale for rocky shore organisms
FLORA
Algae
(seaweeds)
Record in percentages
Quadrat = 1/2 m–2
% Cover
A. > 90% cover
C. 40-90% cover
O. 5 - 40% cover
N. Not found
(upper shore) (Mid-shore)
Quadrat 1
Quadrat 2
Key:
A = Abundant
C = common
O = Occasional
N = Not found
Green seaweed
Ulva asp.
(sea lettuce)
Enteromorpha
(gut weed)
Brown Seaweed
Pelvetia caniculata
(Channel wrack)
Fucus spiralis
(spiral wrack)
Fucus vesiculosus
Ascophyllum nodosum
(Egg wrack)
Fucus serratus
(serrated wrack)
Laminaria sp.
(Kelp)
Red seaweed
Palmaria palmata
Dilsk
Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning EU Network of Excellence
Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems
GOCE-CT-2003-505446
(lower shore)
Quadrat 3
Marine
Ecology
Intertidal
Survey
LEVEL 1
Activity 4
Field survey form 5
Transect_____
Limpet number Versus % Algal cover
within each Quadrat.
(upper shore)
Quadrat 1
(Mid-shore)
Quadrat 2
(lower shore)
Quadrat 3
Limpet Number
% Algal Cover
Patella vulgata (Limpet) copyright VLIZ (Decleer)
Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning EU Network of Excellence
Sustainable development, global change and ecosystems
GOCE-CT-2003-505446