Jellywatch: Examining the physical drivers behind on-shore Velella sightings through citizen science

Abstract:

UCSC GEOPATHS is an NSF-supported initiative to improve student success in the geosciences, driven by a desire to broaden participation. One component of the program is undergraduate student internships that provide authentic, career-relevant experiences – across all employment sectors – to increase student engagement in the geoscience pipeline.

My GEOPATHS Internship at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institution (MBARI) focused on statistical analysis of the crowd-sourced data set of global Velella (by the wind sailor) sightings to examine the physical drivers of the “wash-ups” of this species. Velella float on the surface and bear a small sail, so they are strongly influenced by wind and ocean currents. Reports from jellywatch.org and iNaturalist were plotted to create time-series visualizations of Velella sightings combined with wind vectors and water currents. Preliminary conclusions will indicate that these events are likely caused by significant onshore winds generally occurring during the Northern Hemisphere summer months. Global satellite imaging was examined for supporting evidence of large scale Velella “wash-ups” in addition to citizen-described weather patterns. This poster will share the results of the Jellywatch project and my experiences in the program.