Washington Sea Grant Citizen Science Projects

Become involved in WSG-sponsored citizen science projects and help protect and restore Washington’s marine habitats and resources. 

State of the Oyster Study

Owners of waterfront property on Puget Sound or Hood Canal can participate by bringing oyster and clam samples from their beaches to a pick-up location. WSG arranges for laboratory testing of the samples, which are analyzed for harmful bacteria or bacterial indicators of fecal contamination.  Contact Teri King, guatemal@u.washington.edu, 360.432.3054, for more information.

Canal Watchers

Become part of a network of people reporting on algal blooms, fish kills and other unusual events on Hood Canal.  Contact Teri King, guatemal@u.washington.edu, 360.432.3054, for more information.

Allyn Bird Monitoring Project

Join other Mason County residents in monitoring bird activity in the area of Allyn Waterfront Park to determine potential bird contributions to fecal coliform bacteria in North Bay.  Contact Teri King, guatemal@u.washington.edu, 360.432.3054, for more information.

WSG Collaborative Efforts

Washington Sea Grant staff also contribute to these citizen science programs:

Beach Environmental Assessment, Communication and Health (BEACH) Program

To assist with BEACH monitoring in Mason County, contact Teri King, guatemal@u.washington.edu, 360.432.3054.

Port Townsend Marine Science Center Plastics Monitoring Project

To become a volunteer on one of the beaches currently surveyed in Kitsap County, contact Jeff Adams, jaws@u.washington.edu, 360.337.4619.

Puget Sound Marine Invasive Species Monitoring Program

For monitoring opportunities in Kitsap County, contact Jeff Adams, jaws@u.washington.edu, 360.337.4619.

SoundToxins

To assist with SoundToxins monitoring in Mason County, contact Teri King, guatemal@u.washington.edu, 360.432.3054.

Other Opportunities

A citizen science clearinghouse of information about citizen science projects in the Puget Sound region is currently in development.  Know of a project that should be included in the clearinghouse? Please contact Kate Litle, kalitle@u.washington.edu, 206.616.0151.

For a full list of Washington Sea Grant volunteer opportunities, visit the Volunteer Web page.