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Volunteers needed for Mussel Watch – 2 Shifts Available
October 20, 2025 @ 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
It’s that time of year again — Mussel Watch is right around the corner!
We’re gearing up for another successful season of Stormwater Action Monitoring, and we’d love for you to be involved. Please check out the information below provided by our project lead, Mark Commins, to learn more about the program and how to sign up.
Whether you’re a returning volunteer or a first-time participant, your help makes a difference. Let’s get ready for another great season!
Sound Water Stewards of Island County has been heavily involved in the biennial Washington Mussel Watch program since its inception. It’s an important study that monitors the health of nearshore waters. The 2025/26 program is starting shortly and we need some volunteers.
Volunteers are needed for all three phases of the program.
Mussel Preparation
At Penn Cove, we’ll clean, measure and bag the entire supply of the program’s mussels.
Dates: October 20, 21, 22, 23 Shifts AM 8:00 – 12:00, PM 12:00 – 4:30
We’re needing 6 – 8 volunteers per shift.
I’ve been told it’s a lot more fun than might be expected.
Mussel Deployment
On November 4th at our assigned sites, teams will be securely staking out mussel bags in protective cages. Because we must set them at 0’ MLLW tide level, we will be working in the dark (about 10 PM), and probably the cold, and maybe the rainy, possibly the windy. Channel your inner eco-commando and we’ll hit the beaches together!
Date: Evening of November 4
We are responsible for 6 locations (4 Whidbey, 2 Camano). See map below. A team for each site will be established. We’re needing 3 – 4 volunteers to join each team.
Retrieval
In late January, each team will return to its assigned site to retrieve the subject mussels. A low tide is required and that means we’ll again work in the dark.
Date: One evening, January 27 – February 2. Exact date TBA by WDFW.
How to Register
Please email me, mark.e.commins@gmail.com, with the date(s) and shift(s) you can help out. If a requested shift or team is full, I’ll get back to you to see if a suitable alternate can be found.
If you are interested in ride sharing to Penn Cove, I’ll make a note and try to link you to others. I live in Stanwood and will and will attend each bagging session. I have a three row SUV and will be glad to take folks along with me. I don’t expect anyone coming with me to cover both shifts. They might want to sample Coupeville for half the day.
What about non-Stewards?
If you know a likely volunteer from outside the Steward ranks, please tell them they can participate in the programs as direct WDFW volunteers.
A non-Steward bagging volunteer needs to first establish a profile with WDFW, and then read some safety directives once at Penn Cove.
A non-Steward volunteer for the deployment retrieval teams needs to establish a profile and attend WDFW’s online safety training. The date and time of the training session has not yet been established.
Links to Mussel Program info:
