About the Project
Estuarine ecosystems are some of the most productive and diverse habitats on earth and play a critical role in the health and well-being of coastal communities. Estuarine fishes are a vital component of these ecosystems, serving as indicators of environmental health and supporting recreational and commercial fisheries. Historically, a lack of public media and guides on game and large charismatic fish species in Georgia estuaries has contributed to challenges in identifying fishes in their juvenile stages, which may look very different from their adult morphologies. To address this need, the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve envisioned a suite of professional communications products designed to support the existing outreach, education, and monitoring efforts of regional partners.
About this Resource
As part of their project, the What’s My Bait team developed three training modules and two reference guides. The training modules are designed to support Estuarine Fish Monitoring Cooperative (EFMC) activities. Each module has sections explaining the protocols to the sampling efforts, equipment, safety procedures and responsibilities of each Team Lead, and how to recruit and train volunteers. The modules also cover data management and data entry.
Training Manual and Reference Guides (PDFs)
The EFMC training manual offers background information on the Estuarine Fish Monitoring Cooperative as well as training information for those new to the program. Each quick-reference guide is waterproof, printable, and includes guidance to help identify specific species found using each technique.
Please Note: The list of training modules below serves as a record of the types of educational learning content the team developed. Please contact Brittany Dodge ([email protected]) at the Sapelo Island NERR with additional questions.
Training Modules (Google Classroom)
- General: A general training module for EFMC volunteers, interns, and team leads.
- Train-the-Trainer (Trawls): A training module designed for leads of EFMC teams conducting trawls.
- Train-the-Trainer (Seines): A training module designed for informal educators at 4-H centers and Sapelo Island Reserve Education program staff conducting seines.
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