Public participation in scientific research is a growing trend. Citizen science, as it is called, typically involves data collection by members of the public who pass their information along to researchers trying to answer real-world questions.

In support ofNational Volunteer Week (April 12 -18), the National Ocean Service ran a social media campaign this week highlighting some of the more popular citizen scienceopportunities available at NOS, includingNCCOS's Phytoplankton Monitoring Network, established to monitor marine phytoplankton and harmful algal blooms.

For more information, contact Steve.Morton@noaa.gov.

Phytoplankton Monitoring Network volunteer sampling water in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Steve Morton provides microscopy training to citizen scientists.