Lake Huron Coastal Centre Stewardship Technician, Alyssa Bourassa, says they're currently looking for more Coast Watchers for this summer. She explains, volunteer Coast Watchers collect data about what they observe along the shores of Lake Huron, once a week, from May until October. Bourassa says they collect data on plastic pollution, wildlife, algae blooms, storm damage, erosion, atmospheric conditions and human activities. The data they collect contributes to their 17-year long data set. She says that information informs local decision-makers about water quality, shoreline changes, climate change indicators, species at risk and invasive species.
Bourassa, adds, it's important to know what's in our water, even if we can't see it. So, with with additional donations, they're hoping to increase the number of lake water samples taken to better understand the quantity and location of mico-plastics in Lake Huron. The micro-plastic awareness program is part of our Coast Watcher program.
Anyone interested in becoming a Coast Watcher or learning more about the program can get more information at lakehuron.ca/coastwatchers