William & Mary Center for Conservation Biology wants to hear from osprey watchers

The Center for Conservation Biology, which just launched Project Osprey Watch, is looking for people with osprey nests in their neighborhoods to contribute on a regular basis.

The project is a a web-based initiative created to engage citizen ornithologists to collect data on breeding ospreys.

“The idea behind Project Osprey Watch,” Bryan Watts, the center's director, explained in the press release, “is to harness peoples' natural interest in their ospreys for the sake of scientific research. Citizen ornithologists will log onto the Project OspreyWatch website to enter pertinent data about the pair of ospreys that they’re watching.”

The center is looking to gather data about ospreys, which are viewed as sentinels for aquatic health because they feed almost exclusively on live fish, according to Watts. The effort will address global climate change, depletion of fish stocks and the effects of environmental contaminants.

For more information or to join the effort, visit www.osprey-watch.org.

Filed under: COMMUNITY