ABSTRACT
Ten rocky intertidal beaches in southern California, which were surveyed for a 12 month period following the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, were reinvestigated in June and July of 1972. Data from this 1972 survey as well as data collected during the same months on the same beaches in 1969 and 1970 were analyzed by forming beach groupings using cluster analysis. This analysis indicates that sand movement and substrate stability are the two most important factors affecting the presence of marine organisms on these beaches during this period. Overall, the effect of the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill on the presence and abundance of rocky intertidal organisms was less important than other environmental factors. Most mortalities reported were localized in tide pools and high intertidal areas.