Sound Water Stewards of Island County, WA
Working for a healthy, sustainable Salish Sea marine environment
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COASST Training
August 11 @ 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
The Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) will hold a beached bird and marine debris training session in Bellingham, WA on Friday, August 11, 2023. It would be great if you could help us spread the word to your community!
See poster (below) with all of the event details. You can also find a link to our event on Facebook here: https://fb.me/e/CbyHM5Lx
On August 11th, 2023 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey
Team (COASST) will deliver a free training session in Bellingham, WA for members of the
community. COASST is focused on the intersection of science, conservation, and communities.
COASST participants help make a difference for the environment by collecting data on beach-cast
carcasses of marine birds and marine debris on a monthly basis to establish the baseline pattern
of beached bird mortality and debris deposition on North Pacific beaches.
Through an interactive, hands-on workshop, trainees will become acquainted with COASST
survey protocols, have a chance to learn more about the seabirds that live in their area, and learn
about the effects of marine debris on sea life. The COASST training provides participants with the
tools to monitor for potential changes in the marine environment and promote stewardship of
local marine resources.
COASST is a citizen science project of the University of Washington in partnership with state,
tribal, and federal agencies, environmental organizations, and community groups. COASST
believes residents of coastal communities are essential scientific partners in monitoring marine
ecosystem health. By collaborating with community members, natural resource management
agencies and environmental organizations, COASST works to translate long-term monitoring into
effective marine conservation solutions. Currently, nearly 1000 participants survey beaches in
Washington, Oregon, California, and Alaska.
The training session will be held at RE Sources (2309 Meridian St, Bellingham, WA 98225). There
will be a short break in the middle of the session for lunch, so please bring your own sack lunch,
or money to purchase food in the area. Beach surveys are best conducted in groups of 2 or more,
so please come with a survey partner in mind or plan to join a team during training. Participants
need NO prior experience with scientific data collection, just a commitment to survey a specific
beach at least once a month.
COVID-19 details: Masks are recommended, but not mandatory. Staying safe is our top priority
and we will have disinfectant wipes and sanitizer on hand.
For more information and to reserve your training spot, call COASST at 206-221-6893 or email
coasst@uw.edu. More information about the COASST program can be found at coasst.org
