ATTENTION! Citizen Science Opportunity with SINERR!
The Sapelo NERR Research Program is joining the Phytoplankton Monitoring Network, and we need volunteers!
Background
Phytoplankton (eg., algae) are at the bottom of the estuarine food chain and are an important part of our estuarine ecology. When conditions are right, they will reproduce in large numbers. This is called an algae bloom. Some species can be toxic, and when these toxic algae reproduce in large numbers, it is called a Harmful Algae Bloom, or HAB for short. HABs can cause fish kills and have been linked to causing oyster bed die-offs in Georgia. As our environment and climate changes, we suspect we will see more algae blooms and HABs on our coast. We would like to understand the environmental conditions that help us to predict algae blooms and HABs. This is important as Georgia in general, and McIntosh County in particular, considers introducing oyster aquaculture to our estuaries.
What is the Phytoplankton Monitoring Network?
The Phytoplankton Monitoring Network is a nationally recognized Citizen Science Program under the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. It is a network of volunteers that monitor phytoplankton and HABs. There are already volunteers monitoring at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography and at the Jekyll Island 4-H Club. Volunteers at SINERR would help fill an important gap in the coastal data and volunteers help SINERR obtain critical scientific insights to our phytoplankton community.
What are the requirements to get involved?
We would like at least one volunteer to come to Sapelo one day every other week to sample at slack-low tide. Ideally, we would like to sample every week. The more people involved, the more we can share the work load. The work primarily involves taking a small water sample (about a jelly jar full) from one of our docks and using microscopes to count phytoplankton. These samples will be sent to a lab for verification.
How do I get involved?
There will be a training on Sapelo Island in the Education Building on Friday, March 29th, 2019. This will be an all-day trip from 8:30 – 4:30, but the training itself should only take 4 hours. Please contact Rachel Guy at rachel.guy@dnr.ga.gov if you would like to sign up for training!
