The Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute (UCI) is seeking volunteers for a community science project that aims to learn more about the marine organisms living along our coast through environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling. Participation is easy, requires no training, and only takes a few minutes.
Participating community scientists will collect samples of ocean waters, bays, and brackish areas of rivers from the Manasquan Inlet to the Raritan Bayshore in Monmouth County. Sampling involves filling a bottle with the water, placing it on ice, and freezing it until it can be collected by Monmouth researchers. Bottles and coolers will be provided by the UCI.
The samples will then be analyzed in a lab for eDNA, trace genetic materials floating in the water that can indicate the recent presence of marine life ranging from sharks to microscopic bacteria. The data will be collated to help develop a baseline understanding of the species living in our waters that can be compared to future results.
Volunteers can choose any site they’d like to sample and only need to collect one sample for the study. UCI Resilience and Outreach Project Lead Richard Kane said this community science project offers an excellent opportunity to get involved with a pioneering scientific approach to marine life detection and can be completed as a family activity.
“I’d love for volunteers to pick a place that means a lot to them, so they can say, ‘I care about it here and want to know more about it. I came to this beach as a kid, I take my kids to this beach, and maybe one day they’ll take my grandkids to this beach when they grow up,” Kane said.
Participants can also come to Monmouth on Nov. 20 for a workshop where the results of the findings will be presented.
To volunteer or learn more, email rkane@monmouth.edu. Sampling will take place between Sept. 29 and Oct. 10. Those interested in participating are asked to inquire before Sept. 29. Since the project seeks to cover a geographic balance of areas across the Monmouth County coast, the project team may decline proposals to sample sites that are already covered.