July Citizen science post 2024

Plz Recycle.

Hi July! And welcome to our monthly citizen science blog post!

We would like to reiterate our new public tour schedules and additional public tours for the summer season. We will be having a shorter loop tour (info here about that tour) and our crabbing trip is back (info here for crabbing trip)!!

This blog posts includes information about citizen science projects that can be found in the area! Citizen science is a form of data collection that the public of all ages can participate in. It usually involves the collection of data and recording it or entering it into a database for different organizations. A list of citizen science projects will be listed & linked below!

One in specific we’d like to highlight is the South Carolina Aquarium’s JuLionfish derby and festival. Lionfish are an invasive species to our coasts and in order to help eradicate the SCA has created a fun festival and derby that you can participate in! More information on JuLionfish and how to be part of that effort here! Another citizen science involvement we’d like to highlight especially with a busy beach season are some beach sweeps and pollution pickups listed below. Pollution pickups and beach sweeps will enter the trash collected into databases and can be used to help ban or limit different products. These are only a short list of organized environmental cleanups–there are several out there if you are interested!

• SCA cleanups
• Ocean Conservancy
• Surf Rider 

We are now in the heat of the summer and you can still report different species sightings. There are a couple species that you can partake in citizen science data collection by reporting your sightings of these animals to the SC Department of Natural Resources. (These can be reported year round but are typically found in SC during the warmer months!)

Some of the species include:

1) Diamondback Terrapins

Reporting information here:

https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/95c4d0b2850f42b1b95acfee1b2e90f1

2) Manatees

Report a live manatee here:

https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/bbfdac2dc65e443a98d2d02fd32f0837

3) Sea turtles

Report a live sighting of a sea turtle here:

https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/a7c87e03d4b541c38667c0e80193f02c

4) Swallow-tailed kites

Report a live sighting of a swallow-tailed kite here:

https://stki.thecenterforbirdsofprey.org/

Citizen Science projects listed below!

• https://southcarolinabatworkinggroup.org/
• https://www.birdcount.org/participate/
• https://www.lowcountrymarinemammalnetwork.org/volunteer
• https://scaquarium.org/conservation/citizenscience/
• https://www.scseagrant.org/citizen-science-encouraging-public-engagement/
• https://www.facebook.com/sullivansislandbirds
• https://charlestonwaterkeeper.org/volunteer/
• https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/monitoring-and-assessments/pmn/
• https://datascienceprograms.com/learn/the-role-of-data-science-in-astronomy-and-interstellar-exploration/
• https://explorer1.jpl.nasa.gov/explore-as-one/citizen-science/#:~:text=You%20don’t%20have%20to,in%20our%20solar%20system’s%20backyard.