BioBlitz at Otter Rock

Not all BioBlitz activities require this much athleticism! Surveying tidepools at Otter Rock.\Photo courtesy of ODFW.

As part of this summer’s series of “BioBlitzes” at Oregon’s marine reserve areas, the Oregon Coast Aquarium is sponsoring a bioblitz event at the Otter Rock Marine Reserve on Friday, July 5, from 8:30 to 11 a.m.  To participate, take the trail down to the north side of Devils Punchbowl from the restrooms in Otter Rock.  A team of staffers and volunteers from the Oregon Coast Aquarium will be there to provide information assist volunteers in getting involved.

Anyone can participate—no advance notice is necessary, you can just show up on the day.  And anyone can contribute, although you will be most effective as a participant if you download the iNaturalist app and use it to catalogue the species you find.  In addition to a survey by members of the public, Oregon State University’s PISCO (Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans) will be conducting a more technical sea star survey, which other participants can watch.

A BioBlitz is an intensive survey of a defined area on a single day with the goal of identifying all the species to be found in that area at one time – it is a snapshot of biodiversity. This is an opportunity to explore the intertidal area at Otter Rock while helping local scientists survey the species of the region.