Promoting Student Engagement in Citizen Science Projects on Tides

Students are the future of every nation in more ways than one. Sometimes they might feel lost and confused, even contacting academic firms with the question, “Could you write my essay for me?” but it’s all temporary. Many of them will graduate and take crucial positions that help our society function; some will make amazing discoveries or do valuable research. But regardless of their knowledge or talents, absolutely each of them holds the power to make our future safer. Participating in a global citizen science project on tides is the first step in this direction! Join those who care about our world, learn to predict the dangers of the sea, and help introduce changes we all need.

About the Project

King Tides Project International is a global initiative that seeks to strengthen our world’s safety net and bring awareness about tides to more homes. It’s represented by all kinds of people, from scientists to simple citizens who care about coastal areas and want to shield them from the dangerous impacts of seas and oceans. This project gives you an opportunity not only to make a difference but also to taste the excitement: you might buy research paper from experts, or you might do your own little study by monitoring sea level and taking photos of its changes. Help others visualize the consequences of king tides and gain a clearer idea of them firsthand.

King Tides

King tides are a term for particularly high tides that occur several times per year. This concept is not really scientific, but if you ever had to pay for college essay because you didn’t want to deal with boring and limiting instructions, you’ll understand that formality isn’t all that relevant. King tides are a verified phenomenon, and since they happen every year, people can predict them. It’s not that difficult to analyze signs and figure out when and where they’ll occur.

But don’t let this predictability fool you. The problem lies in other natural factors that make king tides less understandable and much more dangerous. If their appearance coincides with cyclones and storms, which often lead to floods by themselves, their impact on the coastline and property located in the vicinity might be catastrophic. A king tide might flood a larger area than expected — it could arrive earlier, endangering unsuspecting individuals. Close monitoring is essential, and this is where students could come in.

Sea Level Rise, Climate Change & King Tides

Global warming inevitably affects every area of human existence. Sometimes this link is direct; other times, it’s subtler, like in the case of king tides. Even if our climate was perfect and we weren’t set on poisoning the atmosphere, king tides would still happen. They are a natural event, a part of tidal cycles that exists irrespective of our presence. The thing is, both climate change and king tides result in a rising sea level. The water expands, slowly absorbing life humans have built on the coasts, and by studying tides, we can envision the eventual consequences of global warming. What will our world look like when the sea level rises impossibly more? What will happen with people’s dwellings, resorts, as well as other structures decorating the coasts? All answers are there, brought to us by king tides. The only difference is that they retreat as quickly as they come while the impacts of climate change are there to stay.

Is there any other link between the two? Unfortunately, yes. If the situation with global warming keeps deteriorating at its current disastrous pace, king tides might become more frequent. Floods will intensify, harming even more locations. Observing particularly vulnerable coastal areas plus taking action timely is the only way of mitigating these consequences.

What is Sea Level Rise?

Some people have only a general idea of what a sea level rise means, never mind how it emerges. Let us share some insights. Our world is getting warmer, and not in a positive way. Pollution results in greenhouse gas emissions that accumulate and start attacking our planet’s temperature. It begins climbing in its boiling frustration, which brings the melting of historical glaciers as well as ice caps. Tons and tons of ice turn into unforgiving volumes of water that inflate oceans and contribute toward the rising sea level.

Considering that some parts of our land are still rebounding from the ice age, the interaction between them and increasing masses of water creates the possibility of a dangerous collision. In this fight, water will consume the land, and the coastline might suffer in particular. Geo-science is the best solution: it gives all of us a chance to understand the nature of a sea level rise and identify areas that need our protection most.

Who We Are

King Tides Project is a non-profit organization that strives to help more people understand the impacts that tides and climate change have on coastal areas. It unites researchers, surfers, professors, environmentalists, planners, plus many others. We are united by our wish to protect the land and understand the sea. Two passionate people head our initiative:

Marina Psaros is a King Tides Project founder and California King Tides Project organizer. Located in the USA, she always brings fresh perspectives and inspires more people to join our effort.

Heather Lynn Remacle is a King Tides Project organizer and Media Content Adviser. She’s also a Co-Director of Decades After Paris: A Musical Outreach Project and she never fails to invest all of her time and energy into raising awareness about climate change.

The original idea for a King Tides Project came from Phil Watson from Australia’s Office of Environment and Heritage, Department of the Premier and Cabinet. He introduced it back in 2009, during a serious king tides season. His idea spread with hurricane speed. That same year, more similar initiatives emerged in Washington, California, Oregon, as well as BC, Canada.

How King Tides Project Helps

The King Tides Project helps the world understand the reality of sea level rise. Our participants use their smartphones or cameras to capture different images of king tides and their impacts all over the world. They share them online so scientists and educators gain a better chance at calculating the dangers of floods. What you capture today about a king tide is our global-warmed future: sea level will rise, so we need to be prepared in advance.

Our Mission

Our project pursues two major goals:

1) We want to educate more individuals about sea level rise. This especially applies to disadvantaged slices of the population who have no idea that their homes might be consumed by water in the next several decades. With us, risks become clear, and everyone gets an opportunity to adapt to future changes.

2) Our second goal lies in crafting detailed local maps of the most vulnerable zones that will guide various decision-makers. Municipal planning cannot be done without knowing the nearest future of coastal territories, and this is the gap we fill.

How We Work

Our project has nothing to do with any political parties: we create a global network that promotes the protection of coastal areas. We want them to be healthy and resilient, with minimum losses caused by floods. These are principles we follow, concepts we invite you to support:

• Open data sharing
• Combining fun with value
• Giving ordinary citizens scientific tools to make a difference
• Sharing responsibility
• Realizing curiosity about natural phenomena like king tides
• Where We Work

To our delight, we are already everywhere, with more people joining daily. Get in touch with us to learn what you can do for your local community!