Full course description
The Tidal Science: Oyster Watch Course is an educational and citizen engagement informational course. The course can be used as an educational opportunity to learn more about oysters and marine restoration and/or as an instructional guide on how to participate in local oyster restoration projects. Participants can go through each of the three sections or complete only the section that is of interest to them. These sections are:
1) Oyster Education
2) Oyster Restoration: Vertical Oyster Gardens (VOGs)
3) Oyster Watch: Citizen Science Program
Section one focuses on oyster education, teaching about oysters as a species, the ecosystem benefits they provide, and restoration efforts. Section two introduces a community restoration project, explaining how to become involved in the building and installation of oyster restoration devices (Vertical Oyster Gardens). Section three introduces Oyster Watch Citizen Science and allows participants to sign up for the community science program. By the end of the program, you will be able to teach others about the many benefits of oysters and have the chance to install and monitor your own Vertical Oyster Gardens to help support marine ecosystem restoration near you!
The course should take 2-4 hours to complete in its entirety, however, sections can be completed independently. You can take breaks or stop the course at any time and return later to continue.