Oxnard-– Central Coast Ocean Adventures Foundation (CCOAF) and the schooner Mystic Whaler are now partners with the Southern California Plankton Watch.
Interest and awareness of plankton and blooms brought together scientists and informal educators in the Southern California Bight region to form a volunteer plankton monitoring network, which led to the formation of the Southern California Plankton Watch.
Mystic Whaler’s crew and educators received their initial training in plankton collection in February 2024. CCOAF/Mystic Whaler, along with local young people who come on board Mystic for experiential educational programs, will assist in collecting data for the Watch.
This ongoing effort increases the number of eyes on the ocean to understand changing ocean systems and early detection of blooms and sets into place a method for rapid response.
