Naturalists Study Group Lecture - Marine Birds and a Warming Ocean: The Power of Citizen Science

Julia K Parrish, Executive Director of Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team, will explain how the COASST effort is helping scientists see patterns about the effects of climate change and other factors on seabirds. Julia is a professor in the Ocean Fishery Sciences Department, University of Washington. Over two decades, what began as an effort to document what was happening to to seabirds along the west coast, grew into a citizen science program across four states, with more than 800 volunteers diligently working on 450 beaches collecting data on beachcast marine birds on a monthly basis. The program is so successful it's being expanded to add data about marine mammals, beach debris, invasive species and climate change.