BeachCOMBERS

About Us

BeachCOMBERS is a long-term community science program that monitors the health of coastal ecosystems in Central and Southern California. Founded in 1997, BeachCOMBERS is a collaborative program powered by volunteers and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in partnership with California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). Through BeachCOMBERS, trained volunteers survey selected sections of coastline monthly from Santa Cruz to San Diego with the specific goal of monitoring deposition of beach cast carcasses and oil presence to use as a metric of coastal ecosystem conditions. BeachCOMBERS has provided data for a number of scientific papers, contributed to the conservation of marine resources, quantified oiled wildlife, and has informed resource managers about wildlife entanglement from fishing gear and other anthropogenic debris.

Project Objectives

Obtain baseline information on rates of deposition of beach cast birds and mammals:

• Trained volunteers identify and quantify all dead birds and mammals on sandy beaches along the central and southern California coastline, between Santa Cruz and San Diego. Beach surveys are conducted during a low tide in the first week of every month. These data provide a baseline for deposition rates along the California coast during all seasons.

Assess external findings of seabird and marine mammal carcasses:

• Volunteers note the potential cause of death (e.g., presence of oil or entanglement in fishing line) for each organism found. When possible, fresh specimens are collected for post-mortem examination by a veterinary pathologist from CDFW (specimen collection and handling is not currently conducted for volunteer safety due to circulation of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza).

Assess abundance of tar balls on beaches:

• The abundance of tar balls on beaches is determined and used as an indicator of amount of chronic or low-level oil deposition. In the case of large deposition of oil, volunteers are trained in the proper procedure for sample collection and storage. These samples will be used to determine the source of the oil (e.g., natural seeps, vessel traffic, leaking oil wells).

Assist resource management agencies in early detection of mortality events, both natural and anthropogenic:

• BeachCOMBERS consist of scientists, resource managers, and citizens that have formed a well-connected group. This allows the quick accumulation of information about the resources of California into a centralized location, and the rapid dissemination of information to the management and enforcement agencies (e.g., MBNMS, CDFW, NMFS).

Build a network of interacting citizens, scientists, and resource managers:

• Frequent interactions in training sessions, enrichment events, and local meetings, provide a mechanism for scientists, community members, and managers in the BeachCOMBERS program to transfer information and awareness of resource management and policy.

Disseminate information to the public and educational institutions:

• Data from the BeachCOMBERS program is provided to the public and schools via the CeNCOOS data portal or by request, scientific meetings, teacher education classes, and interactions with the public on the beaches. Collection of BeachCOMBERS information is authorized under OMB Control Number 1093-New.

Get Involved

• Participate in local resource management,
• Gain skills and knowledge in science and natural history by becoming a Community Scientist,
• Practice stewardship of your local beaches,
• Join a group of dedicated people from your community!

BeachCOMBERS volunteers work in pairs to sample pre-defined beach segments once a month. Volunteers must possess skill in identifying live and dead marine birds and mammals, often decomposed or scavenged. Volunteers receive training on how to survey a segment of beach, identify marine birds and mammals, and document observations. Beach segments are on average 3 miles in out-and-back length and surveys take an average of 4 hours to complete. Volunteers must be willing and able to walk long stretches of sandy, uneven terrain, often remote from human services. This requires a reliable commitment but is extremely rewarding for those involved.

Volunteer Requirements and Commitment

• Ability to walk on unstable ground (sand and cobble) for distances between 2 to 7 miles
• Completion of in-person and online volunteer trainings (approximately 16 hours)
• One-year commitment to survey an assigned beach
  • Surveys occur on one day during a low tide within the first week of each month (2-6 hours)

To sign up for training notices or for more information contact: FWS8VenturaBeachCOMBERS@fws.gov