Seattle Aquarium's Citizen Science Program: High School Students Monitoring Marine Reserve Beaches in Puget Sound

High school students are able to monitor critical marine protected areas and generate data that meets scientific standards for resource managers and research scientists. Seattle Aquarium is bridging the gap between the need for public involvement in marine conservation in local schools and the monitoring of marine protected areas.  This successful, on-going program empowers youth – our greatest hope and resource for the future health and survival of nearshore ecosystems.  After five years of program implementation of this 15-year program, it became clear that program outcomes were more than just the gathering critical data for MPA protection. The program also needed to demonstrate tangible benefits for teachers, student scientists, ­ marine resource scientists, and the local community.

Program effectiveness depends on two factors: comprehensive training for participants, and ensuring that resources are available for implementation.  Student scientists and teachers engage in hands-on, meaningful field work, with the Aquarium providing staff resources for supervision and reliable quality control.  Conducted in an atmosphere of trust and respect for the student scientists, this results in good data, motivated students, and a range of other tangible benefits. These include support for learning standards, professional development for teachers, introduction to meaningful career alternatives for students, and supportive relationships between schools and the marine research community. Partnerships with federal and local resource agencies, Tribal fisheries departments, and community organizations have also contributed to the success of this long-term monitoring and education program.

We have shown that outcomes can include more than just data critical for MPA protection. Benefits for resource managers, teachers, student scientists, and the local community are also produced.

We will discuss how this model can be replicated. The Aquarium is exploring funding strategies to keep this 15-year project going, and has learned valuable lessons from our experience working with students as reliable data collectors. We hope to inspire other educators to include student scientists in their Citizen Science programs.