FIU calls upon citizen scientists to help collect data during King Tide

Florida International University is mobilizing more than 100 citizen volunteers for its 10^th annual Sea Level Solutions Day on Oct. 8. 

The widespread citizen science effort transforms the year’s highest seasonal water events — known as King Tides — into a crucial data collection campaign that directly informs South Florida’s long-term climate adaptation strategies. Organized by the Institute of Environment and its Sea Level Solutions Team, scientists equip volunteers with tools to measure water depth, salinity and water quality.

Armed with their FIU kits, the volunteers will head into flood-prone neighborhoods to document conditions and upload results into a shared database. The data will help scientists and policymakers better understand the scope of flooding, track changes over time, and inform adaptation strategies for the region.

Sea Level Solutions Day has grown into one of FIU’s signature public science events, shedding a light on how sea level rising is affecting South Florida. To date, the data collected from this program have revealed significant flooding in local communities, sometimes more than two feet deep, and underscored the urgent need for localized resilience planning. The Institute of Environment continues to expand its work surrounding this initiative with research on water quality, saltwater intrusion, mangrove and coral resilience, and urban flooding models.

The 10th Annual Sea Level Solutions Day will take place Oct. 8 during the King Tide in several locations across Miami-Dade County. Volunteers can sign up here.