Paul S. Anderson, Director (acting), Maine Sea Grant, Coburn Hall, University of Maine, Orono, Maine, USA 04469

Abstract

The integration of citizen-based environmental monitoring with monitoring efforts of regulatory agencies has provided for more robust data sets, improved trust of agency activities and enhances public education of the issues that surround environmental regulation. In the state of Maine, environmental monitoring has involved citizen volunteers for many years in assessment of water quality in fresh and saltwater environments that has enabled community-based decision making to be effective and has helped to create collaborative relationships between citizens and government. In recent years the citizen-based environmental monitoring has added potentially toxigenic phytoplankton to its monitoring needs.

The Maine State Department of Marine Resources (DMR) is responsible for monitoring biotoxin levels in shellfish in order to ensure that marketed shellfish are safe for consumption. Until recently, this program was based solely on the levels of toxin found in the tissues of shellfish samples from the harvest areas and analyzed in the laboratory. In 1996 a partnership of organizations created the Maine Phytoplankton Monitoring Program which utilizes trained citizen volunteers to collect samples of phytoplankton and provide relative abundance data of potentially toxigenic phytoplankton to the DMR. There are currently 40 stations along Maine’s coast that are being sampled at least weekly by over 80 volunteers who collect salinity, water temperature, other meteorological information and phytoplankton samples. Sampling is conducted between April and November each year. Results are sent to the DMR by fax and DMR is able to determine whether it is necessary to sample shellfish in the area for Biotoxin. Although the volunteer information is not used for regulatory purposes, there have been several instances over the past 5 years of the program when volunteer observers have documented the presence of Alexandrium in the water shortly before the DMR found elevated PSP toxin in shellfish in that area.

The information gathered by the volunteers is also being examined by researchers studying the ecology of Harmful Algal blooms in the Gulf of Maine, and is generally adding to the knowledge base by providing observations at geographic and temporal scales not otherwise possible. In addition to Alexandrium sp. volunteers are also documenting the occurrence of other Harmful Algal events in this region to better understand their potential impacts on aquaculture and general ecology. This poster will present these findings and general information about this community-based approach to environmental monitoring.