HomeMy WebLinkAbout093025 - Jefferson County and COASSTALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Dear Jefferson County Commissioners,
As the Executive Director of a science participation organization housed at the University of Washington that has a coastal stewardship impact in Jefferson County, I’m reaching out to
share what that impact has been. I'd like to invite you to connect with us to see how you can support our work with your constituents. We would love to set up a meeting!
The Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST <https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.coasst.org/__;!!K-Hz7m0Vt54!lvaTKlYy5YGDlyhXZhwMrfYulcLeJF0JH6LiLCEsHkEzXm6ZxhpM8tLj7uxjatBvMF54Nb6aDJy
-$> ) is a citizen science program that empowers residents throughout the coastal Pacific Northwest and Alaska counties to contribute directly to monitoring ecosystem health. We train
local residents to collect detailed data on beach-cast birds. COASST generates high-quality scientific data at scale that documents the impacts of environmental stressors, from disease
to harmful algal blooms to marine heatwaves. Publishing in high impact scholarly journals and producing near-real time reports for state and federal natural resource agencies, COASST
produces “best available science” while supporting science literacy in coastal communities.
Over the 26 years we have been operating, COASST has trained upwards of 2,700 people, received over 740,000 surveys from more than 450 beaches, and catalogued over 99,000 carcasses of
220 species. This makes our beached bird program the largest in the world. While we are active in multiple counties, we wanted to share what our impact is in YOUR county.
Who is COASST in Jefferson County:
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All time Participants: 313 people
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Beaches established: 40 beaches
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Longest running Participant: 23 years
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Surveys completed: 4,459 surveys
Why This Matters for Jefferson County:
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Community engagement: COASST offers residents meaningful ways to contribute to science and natural resource stewardship.
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Policy insights: Our data supports informed decision-making at local and regional levels, from threatened and endangered species
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reports to annual indicators of marine ecosystem health.
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Preparedness: COASST data serves as an early warning system for oil spills, disease outbreaks, and shifts in ocean conditions.
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Having a network of trained participants on the ground means faster detection and response to coastal threats -
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protecting wildlife, ecosystems, and local economies.
If you are interested in learning how to support our work empowering local voices in coastal science, please reach out to my office through this email address.
We would be happy to meet with you in person or virtually.
Sincerely,
Julia Parrish
Executive Director, COASST
Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, College of the Environment, University of Washington
206-276-8665 cell | jparrish@uw.edu
www.coasst.org <https://www.coasst.org/>