Title

Quantifying relationships between rock hardness, shore platform topography, and intertidal biota: Oregon Coast

Authors

Anna Wood-Gaines
Shannon Hansell
Megan Gravert
Kristin Sweeney

Publication Date

Fall 2018

Faculty Advisor

Kristin Sweeney

College/School

College of Arts & Sciences

Sponsor

University of Portland

Department

Department of Environmental Studies

Abstract

To test the link between rock hardness and meter-scale shore platform morphology and the link between rock hardness and biodiversity, we examined six locations on the Oregon Coast, USA with varying rock types. At each site, we collected rock hardness data along a transect using a Schmidt hammer. To quantify topography, we processed hand-held photographs of each site using structure-from-motion photogrammetry in Agisoft PhotoScan, calculating surface roughness and related statistics in CloudCompare. Our preliminary results confirm that sites with softer rocks tend to have smoother shore platforms and higher levels of biodiversity.

Subjects

Coastal biodiversity--Oregon; Intertidal ecology; Geology--Oregon

Publication Information

A Summer Research Celebration Project

© 2018 The Authors

Citation: Pilot Scholars Version (Modified MLA Style)

Wood-Gaines, Anna; Hansell, Shannon; Gravert, Megan; and Sweeney, Kristin, "Quantifying relationships between rock hardness, shore platform topography, and intertidal biota: Oregon Coast" (2018). Environmental Studies Undergraduate Publications and Presentations. 2.
https://pilotscholars.up.edu/env_studpubs/2

Document Type

Student Project