Gulfwatch: Blue Mussel Collection

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Fast Facts: What is Gulfwatch?

Gulfwatch is a program of the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment. The program's goal is to measure chemical contamination throughout the Gulf of Maine. The blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) is used as an indicator species to detect levels of contamination. Because blue mussels are long-lived and sedentary, their body concentrations of contaminants reflect local environmental conditions over time. In New Hampshire, CRV volunteers work with UNH's Dr. Steve Jones help with the collection of mussels, which are then processed and analyzed for contaminants.

Volunteer Description: What do Gulfwatch volunteers do?

Volunteer Experience: Volunteers join Dr. Steve Jones and CRV staff in the field along New Hampshire's coastline. Volunteers will be briefly trained in the mussel collection protocols, and will then work together to collect mussel samples.

Time Frame: Volunteers should expect to spend about two hours on Gulfwatch mussel collection.

Project Impacts: Mussels collected by volunteers will be analyzed for contaminants. Gulfwatch is a long-running monitoring program, allowing researchers to assess changing contaminant levels throughout the Gulf of Maine over multiple decades.

Qualifications:

Interest in spending a couple hours along the coastline, including tidepools, rocky shore, marshes, and beaches

Benefits:

Meet people from your community with similar interests
Learn about creatures found along New Hampshire's coastline
Contribute to a long-term dataset used to understand Gulf of Maine contaminant concentrations

Questions? For more information, contact Caitlin.