||| FROM KATIE JOHNSON for SJC MARINE RESOURCES COMMITTEE |||
Do you have an interest in marine science and a passion for protecting local ecosystems? The San Juan County Marine Resources Committee (MRC) is looking for citizen science volunteers to help monitor boat presence in eelgrass beds on the shores of Orcas Island.
Eelgrass meadows play a critical role in the marine environment. They provide shelter and foraging areas for marine life, improve water quality, stabilize the seashore, and serve as important rearing habitat for juvenile salmon, and spawning grounds for species like Pacific herring. In fact, the largest herring spawn in recent years was observed off the shores of Orcas Island this summer.
In partnership with the Northwest Straits Commission, the MRC has been tracking boat presence over eelgrass beds to assess potential impacts. Volunteers help collect simple, opportunistic data from the shore in these sensitive areas—an effort that
contributes to regional conservation planning.
No experience is necessary. Volunteers receive training on how to use the data collection tools and can begin monitoring specific sites and submitting observations to a regional database.
If you’re interested in contributing to this important work, contact Katie Johnson, Marine Project Coordinator, at katiej@sanjuancountywa.gov.
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