Is Coastal Water Quality Monitoring in your Future? Registration is now open for TORCH: Training for Observation and Research of Coastal Habitats, a coastal and estuarine monitoring workshop sponsored by the Darling Marine Center (DMC), the Damariscotta River Association (DRA) and the Maine Coastal Observing Alliance (MCOA). Aquaculturists, fishermen, researchers, teachers, citizen scientists, coastal residents, community groups and other interested individuals are encouraged to attend. No previous training or experience is required and the organizers are encouraging interested individuals to use this event as a means to connect with coastal monitoring organizations.

Workshop details:

• Date: Sunday, April 10^th
• Time: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  
• Place: Brooke Hall at the Darling Marine Center
• Cost: $25
• Lunch and refreshments provided
• Registration deadline: March 25^th
• Forty spaces are available.
• Register here!

The goal of the TORCH workshop is to support citizen-scientists by developing effective, efficient and collaborative approaches to confront real world problems facing our coastal waters. Brief talks and demonstrations from a wide range of professionals and citizen-scientists will be offered as well as hands-on training in the use of monitoring technology and equipment. Presenters include aquaculturists, fishermen, conservationists, government and academic researchers and members of community groups.

The morning sessions will focus on the motivations and goals for monitoring, what should be monitored and why, sampling methods and how attendees can use publicly accessible monitoring data through collaborations with existing programs and organizations. We will also discuss quality control measures and data management.

The afternoon will provide attendees with demonstrations and hands-on training. Existing monitoring projects will be discussed and participants will spend time in the field learning about the methods and technologies each project utilizes to gather information and share it with the public. We will wrap up the afternoon with a strategy session to formulate channels of cooperation and collaboration to achieve our goals.

If you are interested in the health of our coastal waters, join us to learn about current programs and techniques and find out how you can participate in current efforts or help your group begin a monitoring program.  No experience is necessary to attend.

Support for TORCH is provided by Maine EPSCoR at the University of Maine.