Tag: restoration

Citizen Scientists

Citizen Scientists

Citizen scientists can improve the waters around us and support scientific initiatives.

Volunteering is a great way to provide useful services to your community. One type of volunteer work that has become very popular in recent years is that of a citizen scientist. You don’t have to be a scientist to do this, but you will learn a lot. According to the  dictionary, citizen science is “the collection and analysis of data relating to the natural world by members of the general public.” You work with scientists who instruct you in the processes of data collections and help you understand the importance and how
it aids in solving real-world problems.

Although there are no precise numbers, millions of citizen scientists around the world are involved in fields from astronomy to medicine to weather. Opportunities are almost everywhere; interested boaters will find many in coastal locations as well as on and under the water.

There are numerous organizations for people to get involved, including the Citizen  Science Organization, and participation can be right from your backyard or boat. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) even has a “Citizen Science Day,” along with several volunteer programs. Weather conditions are a major concern for the comfort and the safety of people out on the water and along the coast.

Volunteer Opportunities

  • The MARS Program (MArine Reporting Stations) primarily involves U.S. Coast Guard  Group Stations but also has some civilian volunteers. They report marine weather conditions from shore locations to the National Weather Service (NWS).
  • Commercial vessels with licensed crews can participate in the Voluntary Observing Ship (VOS) Program. These “official observations” are coded into a special format recognized internationally and are crucial to coastal and high seas marine forecasts.
  • Both commercial and recreational mariners can take part in the NWS MAROB (MARine OBservation) Program. A subset of the VOS initiative, MAROB still uses coded observations but not as detailed as a full VOS report.
  • The MAREP (MArine REPort) Program does not require specific training and relies on plain language observations of coastal weather conditions by mariners.
  • A number of coastal NWS Forecast Offices have a Marine Weather Spotters Program. Volunteers are trained to recognize significant weather and ocean conditions and report them to the NWS which can then issue appropriate warnings to the public. Of particular concern are thunderstorms, waterspouts, fog, high winds, unusually strong currents or high tides, and generally rough seas.  Basic training is provided free by the NWS.

To participate in any of these National Marine Sanctuaries (NMSs) have many volunteer opportunities, especially with marine organisms.

What do citizen scientists do?

Depending on the location, citizen scientists may monitor water quality, observe and record sightings of various wildlife and marine species, help restore reefs, and more. Contact your nearest NMS for specifics. The Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) was designed to provide data for effective management of fisheries. Anglers and boat captains help researchers by participating in surveys. Questions deal with the number of fishing trips taken and the amount and type of fish caught.

There are even questions about the weather. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Council (FWC)
supplements the MRIP surveys with its own Gulf Reef Fish Survey for anglers in the Gulf, who can mail in the survey or use its phone app. FWC biologists may interview you at dockside or even come along with you on boat trips.

Working with Marine Life

In terms of sightings, there are two species of particular concern: whales and sharks. Several of the NMS locations encourage whale watchers to report their sightings. Whale Alert is a group that tracks whales to lessen the danger of collision with large ships. Mariners and the general public can use an app to record whale sightings. In the Southeastern U.S., you can also use the Dolphin & Whale 911 app to report any injured or entangled marine mammal.

Report shark encounters to Support Our Sharks through its SharkBase Citizen Science program. For the more adventurous, there are shark-hunting expeditions, like the University of Miami’s Shark Research Conservation trips where you can accompany marine biologists on board to catch, record, and tag sharks. The Shark Trust encourages you to record empty shark egg cases you may find.

Volunteers may monitor water quality or track marine life populations.

On a smaller, but no less important, scale, NOAA has the Phytoplankton Monitoring Network (PMN) which collects data on potentially damaging algal blooms. Volunteers are taught how to collect and analyze samples using provided tools and equipment. Results are sent to a central office where their findings are verified and distributed as necessary.
A similar Texas-based group of volunteers who call themselves the Red Tide Rangers test for the presence of K. brevis, the red tide algae.

Coral Restoration

Protecting endangered coral reefs has gained a lot of attention in recent years. The University of Miami runs Rescue a Reef expeditions where UM researchers bring recreational divers and snorkelers along on coral restoration projects. The Coral Restoration Foundation is working on fully restoring eight reef sites along the Florida Reef Track. The foundation is actively seeking divers on the reefs to collect and transmit data to them.

Hello Ocean welcomes recreational sailors and others to take readings on ocean acidification, a major factor in coral reef destruction.

This is far from a complete list of citizen science endeavors, but you can see there are abundant opportunities to become a citizen scientist.

By Ed Brotak, Southern Boating September 2019

Sea Fox Restoration

The Salvation of Sea Fox: When a yacht restoration became too costly, an enterprising couple cut down the project — literally.

The story of Sea Fox began in 1940, when she was built by Casey Boat Building Company of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, and launched under the name Hal-Win II. The tale is told that the Furnans Yacht Agency was ahead of its yacht building with this motorsailer, with William Hand stopping by daily to direct their drafting table. Sumner Pingree, who sailed out of Boston for several years, owned her.

In the early 1950s, Robert D. Smith from California bought her and added an additional six feet to the transom, giving her a 68-foot, 9-inch LOA with a lovely round stern. Her name was changed to Physalia, and she chartered in the Caribbean for many years under the command of Ken MacKenzie.

Then in early 1970, she was put up for sale in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A book entitled The Last Schoonerman tells the life story of Captain Lou Kenedy, who after retiring from a cargo freight business serving The Bahamas, was looking for a sea-kindly vessel to cruise with his family back and forth from the islands to Nova Scotia. Kenedy acquired her, changed her name to Sea Fox and refurbished the motorsailer. For the next 15 years, the

Kenedy acquired her, changed her name to Sea Fox and refurbished the motorsailer. For the next 15 years, the Kenedys followed the good weather and wintered in The Bahamas. Most of their time was spent with their daughter Rosemary Mitchell at Sampson Cay in the Exumas. Then they’d head up to Nova Scotia in the spring to enjoy a summer of cool weather and grandkids.

The Kenedys sold Sea Fox in 1985 to John Magee of Warren, Rhode Island, who sailed her for another 14 years out of Narraganset Bay as a mothership to racing yachts and also joined in on the New York Yacht Club cruises.

In 1999, Kathy and Bill McDade of Oyster Bay on Long Island, New York, bought Sea Fox to live aboard and cruise with family and friends, which they did for the next 18 years until they eventually moved ashore to Beaufort, North Carolina.

As an aging lady, Sea Fox became a heavy burden to maintain in the condition of seaworthiness. She was laid up in 2015 to be sold, donated, rescued, or destroyed. Slowly disintegrating on the hard at Bock Marine in Beaufort, the decision was made to strip the vessel and sell the equipment and gear.

Just when it seemed that time had run out for the ol’ girl, one of Kenedy’s daughters refused to let the memories fade away. Over dinner one night with friends Jim Kelsey and Patsy Bolling, an idea was hatched. If they couldn’t save the whole boat, they would save what they could.

Knowing Sea Fox was doomed for the dumpster in a week, there was no time to lose. Armed with skill saws, crowbars, sawsalls, electric cords, sledgehammers, chainsaws, hacksaws, and a bunch of hand tools, Jim and Patsy loaded them in the back of Jim’s Buick the next morning and drove to Beaufort.

With permission from the owners, they began a two-day marathon to relieve Sea Fox of her transom. On the second day, the marina’s crane held the transom weight as the final cuts were made.

They trucked the transom to Patsy’s home for the restoration process, though this was no typical restoration. But after several months of grinding, faring and painting, and with a fine coat of topside paint, high-gloss cap rail, polished rub rail, exhaust, and flagstaff mount, she was ready for her debut.

Although Sea Fox no longer navigates the sea, her transom now resides in a place of honor as a bar at the home of Kenedy’s daughter Rosemary in Jupiter, Florida. Originally intended to be placed poolside, upon delivery it was immediately apparent that this lovely piece of history would be in the dining room for all to enjoy and tell the tale of Sea Fox.

Story and Photos by Patsy Bolling Southern Boating August 2017

Wounded Veterans help with Coral Restoration

On a Mission: Heroes plant 500 corals in a single day assist in coral restoration.

Stellar scientists, hero veterans and future leaders recently planted 500 corals near Looe Key in the Florida Keys, marking the sixth year of a unique partnership involving science, conservation and coral restoration.

Members of the Combat Wounded Veteran Challenge (CWVC) and SCUBAnauts International joined forces with scientists from Mote Marine Laboratory on June 27th for the record-breaking mission on the reef. The number of corals planted marked the most-ever the groups have planted in a single day since they began working together in 2012.
In total, they have planted more than 1,600 corals in an area unofficially named “Hero’s Reef” honoring all current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

CWVC improves the lives of wounded and injured veterans through rehabilitative, high-adventure and therapeutic outdoor challenges while furthering the physiological, biomedical and pathological sciences associated with their injuries. The veterans who participate in the outdoor challenges have suffered from traumatic brain injuries, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or have lost limbs.

SCUBAnauts International involves teens in the marine sciences with intensive dive and science training. Through its partnerships with universities and research organizations, SCUBAnauts learn to take charge as they work on innovative projects that positively impact our oceans, such as this coral restoration.

Combined efforts from Mote, Combat Wounded Veteran Challenge, and the SCUBAnauts, planted 500 Stagorn Coral on Hope Reef on Tuesday, June 27th, 2017.

Ten years ago, Mote established an underwater coral nursery where scientists grow colonies of the threatened staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) for replanting and coral restoration on decimated or damaged sections of reef within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

When the colonies reach a suitable size, small fragments (nearly 2 inches long) are snipped off and used to create a new colony—similar to the way new plants are grown from cuttings of existing plants. These cuttings are then mounted on the reef so they can grow and develop into new colonies.

Mote has more than 10,000 colonies of staghorn coral in its underwater nursery, including more than 85 genotypes, allowing researchers to determine which corals have the heartiest genetic makeup and the best chances of survival. To date, Mote has planted more than 40,000 reef-building coral fragments to help restore Florida’s reef. Mote is also working on a new coral micro-fragmenting technology that is enabling the organization to regenerate larger reef-building boulder corals on the reefs. Mote’s goal is to continue working in partnership with these and other groups to plant more than a million corals.

“This is really a wonderful annual event,” said Dr. Michael P. Crosby, Mote president and CEO. “I don’t know of any other partnership like this involving really innovative science, young citizen scientists and veterans who are sharing their leadership skills. But this event has broader impacts beyond just doing great science. Coral reefs are on the way toward extinction because of decades of human impacts. They were already stressed, and now we have increasing temperatures, increasing acidity and more diseases that are pushing them past their tipping point. If we lose coral reefs, we’ll lose the oceans and if we lose our oceans, we’ll lose the very oxygen we need to survive.”

By Hayley Rutger, Mote Marine Laboratory for Southern Boating September 2017

PHOTOS: CONOR GOULDING/MOTE MARINE LABORATORY

Liked this story? You can find more environmentally friendly Sea Watch Stories here.

Give the Gift of Restoration this Season

For the cruiser in your life there are endless options for gift giving this holiday season from that new handheld GPS unit to a subscription to their favorite boating magazine. But what better stocking stuffer than a member subscription or “friend” of a non-profit organization that specifically restores and preserves their favorite waterways and cruising grounds?

While the giant non-profits tend to receive the most charitable donations, they also tend to have the highest cost overhead and expenses to cover before your money is brought into direct action. However, throughout the Gulf Coast there are small organizations made up of volunteers—many of whom might be your neighbors or friends at the marina—where $50 or $100 would go a long way to directly and specifically help preserve a favorite boating or fishing location. A few trusted organizations are listed below, but a simple online search will help you find a non-profit group dedicated to your favorite bay, lake or estuary.

Gulf Restoration Network (Gulf Coast): Covering the health and preservation of the entire Gulf of Mexico, this organization and their efforts came into real prominence immediately following the BP oil spill off the Louisiana coast in 2010. While a medium-sized organization, this group and their army of volunteers is very active throughout the Gulf Coast from the planting of marsh grasses to the restoration of barrier islands and fishing grounds. healthygulf.org

Friends of West End (Louisiana): Created in the 1830s, West End is a massive and historical recreational boating and park complex in New Orleans. Situated on Lake Pontchartrain, West End is home to 100+ acres of historic parks and marinas, and the Friends of West End organization raises funds for restoration projects as well as building a large wetlands park that will aid in the downstream health of the fisheries throughout the Lake Pontchartrain Basin. friendsofwestend.org

Coastal Conservation Association (CCA-Mississippi): Dedicated to the restoration of the once highly productive marine fisheries along the Mississippi Coast and the barrier islands, the CCA-Mississippi is a dedicated division of the larger Coastal Conservation Association which has been highly successful in their attempts to preserve recreational and commercial fisheries. Donations to the CCA-Mississippi stay within the state. ccamississippi.org

Dauphin Island Restoration Task Force (Alabama): Dauphin Island—Alabama’s incredibly beautiful lone barrier island—plays a crucial role in the estuarine environments for Mobile Bay and the Mississippi Sound that helps support the entire recreational and commercial seafood industries for the Northern Gulf Coast. The task force is devoted to restoring the shoreline of this treasure that is rapidly eroding into the Gulf. dauphinislandrestoration.org

Friends of St. Joseph’s Bay (Florida): Very few waters are as pristine as St. Joseph’s Bay in Florida. Located on the Forgotten Coast on the far eastern panhandle of the state, this spectacular bay is home to crystal clear waters that support everything from scallops to seahorses and needs more human advocates to help it remain this way. stjosephbaypreserves.org

By Troy Gilbert, Southern Boating December 2014

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