| "We're engaging a volunteer force in the collection of data that serves resource managers." | |
| Ed Cassano, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary |
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Coastal resource managers challenged to promote public education and research marine habitats may find a common solution in the Great American Fish Count. This nationwide program provides a fun, educational activity for the public and research data for managers.
"This is not the same old, same old. It provides the public with an educational awareness of the environment and hands-on involvement in resource management, and data that can be used to assess various trends," said Jennifer Dianto, fisheries outreach coordinator for the American Oceans Campaign, one of three partnering organizations involved in the program.
Ed Cassano, manager of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, described the program as "very powerful. We're engaging a volunteer force in the collection of data that serves resource managers. This is providing long-term monitoring in an area of the marine environment that is hard to access with traditional monitoring methods."
The program involves training volunteer scuba divers and snorklers to conduct a standardized visual census during the month of July. It began in 1992 when a small group of recreational divers and marine biologists from the Channel Islands National Park conducted a visual fish census modeled after the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. In 1994, the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary joined the program and helped develop training materials and coordinate the event. Today the Great American Fish Count is a partnership among the American Oceans Campaign, Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), and NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program. Six Sanctuar-ies served as dive sites in 1998.
Dianto said coastal management programs such as the Sanctuaries and National Estuarine Research Reserves are good project sites because they are "a more controlled ocean environment so it's easier to collect data.
"This is a great tool for educational and public awareness," she said. "We have the same target audience and the same educational goals as many of the coastal programs. The Great American Fish Count is really a great way to enhance coastal management programs."
Dianto said coastal managers who participate in the Fish Count can choose their level of involvement."The only thing we require of managers is to assist in local outreach and publicity of the event; however, involvement can range from passing out flyers and hosting training seminars to actually conducting seminars and fish count dives."
She said the Great American Fish Count partners are planning a nationwide media campaign to help increase pubic awareness of the program, the coastal management organizations, and fish habitat conservation.
"This gives coastal management programs that have an educational component the opportunity to actually involve the general public in collecting data and rallying support for their efforts. It's a wonderful opportunity to increase awareness," Dianto said.
For more information on the Great American Fish Count, contact Jennifer Dianto at (202) 544-3526, or e-mail her at aocjd@wizard.net.
