Multivariate analyses of 14 macroalgae and invertebrate species indicate SNI kelp forests exhibit three distinct community states: an algae-dominated transient state where sea urchins are absent, a mixed state where kelp and urchins coexist, and a barren state where active urchin grazing inhibits kelp recovery. High velocity, abrupt shifts in state are observed at sites exhibiting low complexity, whereas high rugosity sites and transects exhibited 38 years of resilient kelp forest persistence.
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