CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — The Charlotte County Extension Service is seeking volunteers to participate in the Eyes on Seagrass monitoring program to document the health and status of seagrass in upper Charlotte Harbor and Lemon Bay. Volunteers are being recruited to conduct seagrass monitoring in April and July.
Volunteers will need to assemble a team of three to four individuals and provide their own boat (or kayak/canoe/paddleboard) transportation to their assigned monitoring site. Volunteers will also need to provide their own water shoes, mask, snorkel and fins. Gloves and a weight belt may also be used. We will provide monitoring gear, a dive flag, and a cooler for samples.
Teams will survey during a two-week window from April 17 to April 30. Volunteers will sample the same sites again during a two-week window between July 10 and July 23. After the July survey, volunteers will return the sampling gear to the extension office.
Gear will be distributed during 30- to 90-minute training sessions (depending on team members’ experience) scheduled at the following times, dates and locations:
April 8
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Ann & Chuck Dever Regional Park outdoor pavilions
6961 San Casa Drive
Englewood, FL 34221
April 14
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Port Charlotte Beach Park outdoor pavilions
4500 Harbor Blvd.
Port Charlotte, FL 33952
April 15
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Port Charlotte Beach Park outdoor pavilions
4500 Harbor Blvd.
Port Charlotte, FL 33952
For more information, or to preregister your team, email Florida Sea Grant Agent Betty Staugler at staugler@ufl.edu, or Program Assistant Forest Hecker fhecker@ufl.edu.
Charlotte County Extension Service is a partnership between the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the United States Department of Agriculture, and Charlotte County government, to provide scientific knowledge and expertise to the public.
