How can I get involved?
As we come to the end of the MOOC, perhaps you are wondering how you can help to protect our seas and get involved with ocean science. First and foremost, take a few simple steps to minimise the effect YOU have on the oceans – there’s a great list of simple things you can do (and avoid doing!) here:
If you want to go a step further, there are lots of citizen science and conservation projects going on around the UK which are free to take part in. Some are best suited for those who live by the coast but there are plenty which you can contribute to in a couple of hours or less – perfect for a day out at the seaside! Here’s a list to get you started:
Take part one of the Marine Conservation Society’s Beachwatch litter surveys and help to clean up:
http://www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/volunteers
Conduct your own seaweed survey as part of the Natural History Museum’s Big Seaweed Search:
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/take-part/citizen-science/big-seaweed-search.html
Report a one off cetacean sighting or become a Sea Watch Regular Observer:
http://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/
Report basking shark, jellyfish, turtle and non-native species sightings:
http://www.mcsuk.org/what_we_do/Wildlife+protection/Report+wildlife+sightings
If you are a diver you can record your underwater encounters and report them to Seasearch:
Organisations like the Marine Conservation Society and The Wildlife Trusts are always campaigning for better protection of our seas. Sign up to become a friend of Marine Conservation Zones and subscribe to the Marine Conservation Society’s Enewsletter to for regular updates and guidance on how to make your voice heard.
MCS Enewsletter sign up:
http://www.mcsuk.org/enewsletter/subscribe
Become a friend of Marine Conservation Zones:
http://action.wildlifetrusts.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1823&ea.campaign.id=28581
Finally, there are lots of local projects going on around the UK which can’t all be listed here. Try searching online to see what’s going on in your area!