Citizen Science

Christiansted

Have you ever donated your time to helping scientists collect data? No, well here are a few citizen scientist projects that we in the Virgin Islands or in fact anywhere can participate in.

The Annual Christmas Bird Count has been going on continuously for over 100 years and takes place all over North America, Central America, the Caribbean and parts of South America. Volunteers dedicate one day out of the year to collect information on bird species and numbers observed. Teams go out and cover specific areas in order to reduce overlap but anyone can participate even those who just want to count the birds congregating in their back yards or around their feeders. All the data collected is compiled by regional directors and put onto the website for anyone to search. This year the count will happen December 15 and there should be notices in the newspaper about how to volunteer.

Domino players at Cramer Park

Shark Count is a project that is collecting data from people who are either diving or snorkeling or swimming in open water and encounter a shark. The information collected will be used to help protect the sharks and provide more information about the populations and their density. To find out more about this program and to sign up go to https://www.sharksavers.org/en/our-programs/sharkscount/

A view of Buck Island from shore

Marine Debris Tracker NOAA has a program and an app that you can add to your phone to track garbage that floats on to shore or that you see in the water. Garbage in our waters is a global problem that affects everything from navigation, to fish, to birds caught in nets and mono-filament and even to our economy. Right now it is Coastal Clean up week and teams have been out all over the island collecting garbage off our beautiful beaches. Just noticing that there is garbage is the first step in eradicating it. If you would like to get involved in helping out and to get the app go to http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/projects/seamdi.html

Cramer Park beach

Here's a fun one that takes just a few minutes

Test your Quarter apparently not all quarters are created equally. Now that states are allowed to mint their own there has been some controversy concerning the fairness of a quarter. If you toss one in the air it should land heads up just as often as it lands tails up. These guys want you to test your quarters and report the findings to them after learning what they are all about http://physicsbuzz.physicscentral.com/2013/08/citizen-science-testing-fairness-of-us.html

View from the top of Blue Mountain...very hazy day.

and this one anyone who lives on this island can do

National Cockroach Program all you have to do is collect, label, and send in all those dead ones you find laying about. Amazingly people do study cockroach's as they can reveal a lot about evolution and migration. Did you know that American cockroach's hitchhiked here from Africa? Check it out

http://phe.rockefeller.edu/barcode/cockroachproject.html

Rescued baby Mongoose

Caribbean Lionfish Response Program all it takes to be a lionfish spotter is to carry around a marker that consists of a length of orange flagging attached at one end to a metal washer and at the other end to a cork. If you see a lionfish drop the marker and contact Fish and Wildlife or any of the local dive shops.

Cramer Park

There are tons of other projects going on around the world and you might be able to locate some in your area...just google “citizen science” and explore the possibilities.

See ya next week.