Steven Scyphers
Non Forest Service
My favorite science experience is meeting and hearing stories directly from commercial fishers and other residents of coastal communities. Commercial fishers are people who fish as a part of their job.
As scientists, we spend quite a bit of our time designing surveys and experiments to better understand our coasts. However, the amount of time that we are able to spend on the water is often far less than folks who work or live near the coast. For example, a waterfront homeowner showed us his homemade boat powered by a bicycle. He pedals his boat around the bay to visit neighbors by water.
Scientists increasingly recognize the value of local citizens’ knowledge and experiences for our efforts to understand coastal oceans. For example, we were able to obtain photographs taken by the coastal resident who pedals his bicycle-powered boat. From his photographs, we were able to scientifically document how recent hurricanes had affected coastal marshes and fishing vessels. Experiences like these continually remind us why talking with people in coastal communities is important for our science. It is also a lot of fun!
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Over the past decade, humans have introduced two species of Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) into the Atlantic Ocean. These fishes have been seen in a wide range...Lion In Wait: How Citizens Helped Scientists Identify a Rapid Invasion of Lionfish
Over the past decade, humans have introduced two species of Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles) into the Atlantic Ocean. These fishes have been seen in a wide range...
