Contribute to Community Science

At COI, data collection is at the heart of our mission to protect clean water. By participating in our EPAP Beach Adoption Program, you'll play a vital role in tracking debris and contributing to a global database used to educate communities, support local legislation, and advocate for healthier waterways. Your efforts make a real impact, one beach at a time. Click here for more information on EPAP.

How to Participate:

• Fill out the Volunteer Application and Agreement at the bottom of this page. Please allow up to 2 weeks for processing and training before your first cleanup. 
  • Choose your location:
    • Adopt any location worldwide—beach, lake, or river—where you can lay out a 100m tape in a straight line.
      • If you are unsure which location to adopt, enter "Help me choose" in the 1st and 2nd location choices.
        
      • You can also explore the "Map of Surveyed Locations" on the right-hand side of this page for inspiration.
        
  • Meet the team:
    • You will receive a Zoom invitation email to meet our team. If you’re local to Santa Cruz County, we’d be happy to arrange an in-person meeting.
      
  • Get trained:
    
    • Shortly after your meeting, we'll send you a training packet via email and schedule a Zoom session to walk you through everything.
      
  • Start your cleanup:
    • Once your location has been confirmed and your training is complete:
      • Gather provided field kit materials.
      • Enter debris data on our datasheet.
      • And most importantly - have fun!
        
  • Submit your data:
    
    • ​After your survey is complete, be sure to:
      
      • Properly dispose of the collected debris,
      • Submit your data to our online database within one week,
        

Map of Surveyed Locations
(Current & Past)