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LiMPETS Programs
Approximately 3,500 students in three national marine sanctuaries along the coast of California are involved with the collection of rocky intertidal and sandy beach environmental data as part of the Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students (LiMPETS) network. Through research-based monitoring, students develop their problem solving skills, gain experience using tools and methods employed by field scientists, and learn to analyze data. Teachers who are interested in participating in one of these free programs should attend an introductory teacher workshop. Contact limpets@farallones.org or (415) 561-6625 x304 for more information.
Bus scholarships: Participating LiMPETS teachers in Alameda, Marin, San Francisco, or San Mateo counties are eligible for a bus scholarship for transportation to a monitoring site during the '08-'09 school year. Download an application form here.
Sandy Beach Monitoring Program
Students have fun getting sandy and wet while monitoring the distribution and abundance of the Pacific mole crab (Emerita analoga). We monitor mole crabs at Sanctuary beaches because they are an important link in the food web.
Teachers and FMSA staff work together to locate a safe monitoring site that is close to the participating school or facility. FMSA supports teachers interested in monitoring at beaches in Sonoma, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties.
The data collected are meant to provide baseline data for the Sanctuary in the event of an oil spill or other disaster. Students are encouraged to use the data to answer their own research questions.
Find out more at www.limpetsmonitoring.org. |
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Rocky Intertidal Monitoring Program
The rocky intertidal on the west coast of North America is one of the richest and most diverse habitats in the world. The plants and animals living in the rocky intertidal are well adapted to the waves, tides, and other harsh conditions that make this environment unique. Unfortunately, these intertidal creatures are often threatened by the impacts of human behavior. Threats such as harvesting, trampling, and global warming can cause changes in the distribution, abundance, and diversity of the biota at the rocky shore.
Students taking part in the Rocky Intertial Monitoring Program survey key invertebrate and algae species at one of the Sanctuary's established monitoring sites. By monitoring, students contribute to a long-term data set used to identify changes in the abundance and distribution of species over time.
Interested in participating but don't live near the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary? The Sandy Beach and the Rocky Intertial Monitoring Projects are part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's integrated coast-wide program called LiMPETS (Long-term Monitoring Project and Experiential Training for Students). Similar student monitoring programs exist at other National Marine Sanctuaries along the west coast. To find out more about student monitoring programs at a Sanctuary near you, visit www.limpetsmonitoring.org.
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