Marine biologist, conservation biologist and specialist in animal aggregation, Julia Parrish has conducted research on seabirds for more than 30 years, focusing on the natural and human-caused factors causing population decline. Julia is Executive Director of the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) housed at the University of Washington.
For 25 years, the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) has organized local citizens to track the patterns of seabird mortality on local beaches. This “citizen science” effort deploys hundreds of participants monthly to collect data on the identity and abundance of beach-cast birds and marine debris. It also provides the opportunity for program participants and partners to learn at multiple scales: from seasonal shifts in the distribution of local species to dramatic changes in the ecosystem. These collected environmental data offer the opportunity to learn about natural history, over time and space, something no research lab could hope to attain on its own.