Science Support for Volunteer Monitoring

History:

In 1987 NOAA Sea Grant decided to test the concept that high quality data on coastal systems could be collected by volunteers trained by research professionals. Scientists within what is now the Coastal Systems Program at the Center for Marine Science and Technology --U.Mass Dartmouth were chosen to design a program for Volunteer Monitoring of Coastal Waters. The initial program, Falmouth Pondwatch, was the first coastal ecological monitoring program focusing on the nutrient related health of coastal waters. This focus was chosen because the over fertilization of our bays and harbors or eutrophication is the single greatest threat to the coastal oceans within New England and world-wide. The initial program has continued to grow over the past 12 years and the Coastal Systems Program currently provides technical assistance to Volunteer and Research Monitoring Programs covering over 50 Massachusetts embayments state-wide.

Program Schematic

Support Area

The Coastal Systems Program currently provides technical assistance to many citizen and governmental agencies throughout South Eastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands. (Red names are the groups we are currently working with Black names are groups we have worked with in the past.)