Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch Coordination 101

Everything you need to know about becoming a coordinator

Overview

This Story Map will go over how to coordinate a branch of Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch

What you'll learn:

  • The program's history
  • How to gather volunteers
  • How to select a survey site using Public Report Data
  • How to make a tide-based schedule
  • How to access the SharePoint
  • How to input data on SharePoint

Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch is a scientifically rigorous citizen science initiative that surveys spawning horseshoe crabs along the Florida coast. Training is required to fully participate in the program. Training is offered twice yearly --one in early spring and one in early fall. Or virtually found a this  link . The program is headquartered at the FWC: FWRI St. Petersburg campus. Our partner organizations include UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station, UF/IFAS, Florida Sea Grant, UF: Department of Biology, Florida DEP, Marine Discovery Center, and the Coastal and Heartland National Estuary Program.

In 2015, the Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch—“Linked with Limulus” was created and implemented in Florida’s Big Bend region on the Gulf coast.  Formed through a collaborative effort between horseshoe crab researchers from FWC: FWRI, the UF: Department of Biology and IFAS Sea Grant, the program’s creators, who conducted the volunteer recruitment and training, also functioned as “boots-on-the-ground” and coordinated sampling times and volunteer schedules, as well as entering and analyzing the data collected. After two years of development, the program expanded out to counties throughout the Florida Coast.

For each location throughout the state, there is a volunteer coordinator, who then works with a corps of local volunteers. These trained volunteers are scheduled ahead of time to survey horseshoe crabs during peak spawning activity. This occurs around the highest tides of the month, generally in the spring (March-May) or Fall (Sept-Oct). Sampling times vary by area.

The field portion consists of a Survey (walking along the beach to count crabs, on a pre-arranged time, date, and location, set by the volunteer coordinator) and then capturing and tagging a subset of the crabs surveyed. Volunteers are also asked to record any re-sightings of previously tagged crabs. Field days average 12-24 per year (about a dozen each season, which varies by location). We like for our volunteers to try to come for one or two field days per season. Surveys are conducted by groups of 2 to 3 volunteers.  


So you want to be a coordinator?

First of all THANK YOU!

Your participation allows us to learn more about horseshoe crabs in the state of Florida, this data directly informs management decisions on both the state and federal level. You're making a huge difference!

Volunteers at Gulfport Beach, Spring 2020

When we decide to start a new FHCW location, we need to put a few things in place before we begin surveying. Generally, you will want about 15 volunteers per site. This gives you enough wiggle room to fill survey time slots.

Gather Volunteers

Host a training event!

You will want to reach out to your local non-profits and clubs. Many coordinators have had luck contacting volunteering groups like the  Audubon Society ,  Sea Turtle Patrol ,  Master Naturalists , and  Sierra Club  to name a few. They can spread the word that you are looking for volunteers.

Select a Survey Site

Horseshoe crab spawning reports from 2002 to Jan 2022

Use the map above to get a feel for commonly used spawning sites. Click on the dots to see how many crabs were sighted at each individual event.

Once you find a good survey location you should now select your nearest tide station.

The following link will allow you to find a buoy closest to your survey site.

When you click on a buoy it will open up a window that tells you the buoy number, for example: St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay, FL buoy's unique id is 8726520. This is the only number you will need.

Once you know the station number you can enter it into the following app and it will create a high tide heat map calendar

This will guide you on what days are best to survey. You'll want to chose three days around the highest tide. Then you can create a sign up sheet. Feel free to use the template below, or try volunteer signup to create a more interactive sign-in sheet.


Once you have a survey schedule organized, get the word out to your volunteers! Keep them updated by sending regular reminders!

The second page of your survey schedule is a good place to keep a running list of volunteers and their contact info. Once your surveys are booked you are good to go!


Now you're ready to get out and survey

Your volunteers will leave the datasheets in the survey kit after they survey. You can collect and organize them as they are returned to you or you can wait till the end of the season.

If you collect them as you go its a good idea to check for any small mistakes on the data sheets. Your volunteers are more likely to be able to fix small mistakes if they only made them recently, verses if they are asked about it months later.

But where do you put the data once its collected?

Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch uses a Microsoft SharePoint site that allows coordinators to enter the data collected by volunteers in a centralized location. It also serves as a one-stop-shop for paperwork and outreach materials.

First you'll need access....

Receive invitation via email address (email me at FHCWCoordinator@myfwc.com). Depending on whether you have a Microsoft Office account, you may have to create a specific email address and password for using SharePoint. CHECK SPAM FOLDER if not in your regular inbox.

Activate your account. 

Now you should be able to view the SharePoint site


This video shows how you add data on SharePoint

Adding beach survey data to the SharePoint Site

Adding Resighting data to the SharePoint site

Adding Tagging data to the SharePoint site

This slide show walks you through the data entry process as well!


What about volunteer liability? If you aren't part of an organization that tracks and manages volunteers you can use FWC's volunteer system to ensure your volunteers are protected while surveying. All FWC based volunteer kits include an OSV (Occasional Service Volunteer) forms in the very front of the survey binder. This form must be filled out EVERYTIME an FWC volunteer surveys! This is critical so please impart the importance to your volunteers.


How is this data recorded? There is a tab in SharePoint specifically for OSV volunteer data, the video below shows the data entry process

Remember to send your original datasheets including the OSV datasheets to FWC at the end of every season to:

FWC: ATTN Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch Coordinator

100 8th Ave SE

St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Contact the FHCW Coordinator for the FedEx account you can use to ship the data sheets.

Thank you! If you have any questions contact me at fhcwcoordinator@myfwc.com

Volunteers at Gulfport Beach, Spring 2020