An approach to ecological monitoring in the rocky intertidal: A survey of Bantry Bay and Dunmanus Bay, Ireland

The methodology of a monitoring study of the fauna and flora of the rocky intertidal zone in Bantry Bay and Dunmanus Bay in southwest Ireland is described and some representative results are presented. Five shores, four in Bantry and o one in Dunmanus Bay, were visited monthly from May, 1978 to June, 1980, and more limited monitoring is continuing. On each visit to each shore, four research programmes were undertaken-transect studies, recolonisation of cleared areas, barnacle studies and limpet studies. The transect methods are discussed in relation to other methods in current use. Combining community and key species approaches is shown to be most useful in monitoring programmes. The increased effectiveness of continuous shore monitoring when compared with one-off or before and after impact-type studies is stressed.