Fidalgo Learning about the Intertidal Program (FLIP): A Community-Based Education Project

Western Washington University's Shannon Point Marine Center is engaged in efforts to enhance experiences in marine science for teachers and the public.

The Fidalgo Learning about the Intertidal Project (FLIP) brought together scientists, educators, high school students, and community volunteers to study the intertidal zone of a section of Fidalgo Island, WA.

The study areas, surveyed in 2003 and 2004, included a sandy beach/wetland at Ship Harbor, the Shannon Point Marine Center cobble beach, and two rocky shorelines of Washington Park. The purpose of the project was to promote local public awareness and appreciation of the intertidal zone.

FLIP participants were educated about the role and value of seaweeds, eelgrass, and animals in the intertidal zone and helped produce scientific survey reports that are being disseminated to public agencies and local schools. FLIP was a very successful effort to bring together scientists and the public to address a local need. This model can be applied in other coastal communities.

FLIP was funded by Washington Sea Grant, the Shannon Point Marine Center, the Anacortes Parks Foundation, and the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.