You can be a community scientist anytime you visit the sanctuary. With apps like iNaturalist and Seek, you can snap a photo to record and identify almost any species, including plants, mammals, insects, reptiles, amphibians, and more. Bird-watching enthusiasts can use eBird to keep track of the birds they see, or join projects like the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count. And if you’re an avid angler, you can help state management agencies address the spread of non-native and invasive species like blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) or northern snakehead (Channa argus) by logging your catch through the Great Chesapeake Invasives Count.
Learn more about the different wildlife that inhabit Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary in our creature feature guide.