Volunteer With Us: Dungeness Crab Citizen Scientist
Do you have a passion for the ocean and the amazing creatures that live in it? Do you have an interest in citizen science and conservation? Do we ever have a volunteer opportunity for you!
About the Project
We are partnering with the Hakai Institute on the Larval Dungeness Crab Monitoring Project to track Dungeness crab dispersal around BC. Using light traps and a network of community partners we can find answers to important questions about these crabs’ ecology, dispersal and survival that are becoming increasingly important with climate change.
What’s Involved
The light trap season runs from April 15th – September 1st. During this time volunteers rotate to check the light trap in the morning every Monday/Wednesday/Friday mornings. The process involves removing the trap from the water, counting and releasing juvenile Dungeness crabs and filling out a digital data form. Volunteers receive training on how to safely check the trap and how to identify Dungeness larvae- so don’t worry, you don’t have to be an expert!
Time Commitment
Training: A 1-hour training session prior to participation.
Trap Checks: Between 30 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on how many crabs are caught.
Why volunteer with us?
It’s fun! The light traps catch a variety of critters including squid, fish, octopus and more! It’s always exciting to see what gets caught each day.
- Hands- on volunteer experience and engagement in a large-scale citizen science project contributing to meaningful environmental research.
Contact us at stewardship@mayneconservancy.ca or 250-539-2535
The Mayne Island Conservancy is one of 37 partner organizations collecting marine data through the Sentinels of Change program run by the Hakai Institute. We’re looking forward to another successful season of monitoring this year. Click here to read more about the project.
