Opportunities From: Volunteer Delaware

Whether you're a wader, paddler, boater, SAV Seekers invites you to become part of a growing network of trained volunteers helping to find and map these essential underwater ecosystems. 

The Delaware Statewide Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Workgroup (DeSSAV) Volunteer Monitoring Program provides multiple exciting opportunities for involvement in SAV data collection. This Program is managed by the DeSSAV to provide consistent oversight across the state, and allows for a range of audiences from novice to established scientist to become involved: 

Organizations wishing to run a Program within the state of Delaware can take on the role of Program Coordinator, where they recruit and train volunteers to gather SAV data. 

Individuals looking to volunteer their time can become SAV Seekers, receiving training and heading into the field to collect valuable data firsthand. 

SAV Seekers collect scientific data to help track the health of aquatic habitats across Delaware. After attending a training led by a certified Program Coordinator, volunteers will:

Visit local waterways by foot, kayak, or small boat

Identify and document SAV species and their habitat conditions

Measure water quality (e.g., depth, salinity, clarity, temperature)

Use field datasheets and digital tools like QuickCapture and Survey123

Take geo-tagged photos of SAV, shoreline features, and aquatic life

Submit observations to support ongoing conservation and restoration efforts

No prior experience is required—just a passion for the environment and a willingness to get your feet wet!

Part 1: Classroom Training to learn SAV basics, plant ID, field and data collection methods.
Part 2: In-field training at a monitoring site near you.
Part 3: On-line testing. Complete and pass an open-book knowledge test.
Go Time: Start collecting data that contributes to Delaware's statewide SAV database!

To learn more about the protocol and program, please read the SAV Seekers Program. If interested in becoming a Program Coordinator or being paired with an existing volunteer group, please reach out to Brittany Haywood at Delaware Sea Grant at haywoobl@udel.edu or find our more at delawaresav.org.

Ghost crab pots are lost commercial-style traps no longer attached to buoys. In the Delaware Inland Bays, a recreational only blue crab fishery, they litter the seafloor, damage boat propellers, and trap marine life—posing both environmental and navigational risks.

Delaware Sea Grant and the CSHEL lab are collaborating with state and local partners and volunteers to not only remove derelict crab pots from Delaware’s Inland Bays, but to collect information on locally-relevant impacts. University of Delaware and Delaware Sea Grant’s Derelict Crab Pot Round-Up empowers boaters and community members to reduce marine debris in Delaware’s Inland Bays and beyond. This initiative trains volunteers to become Trap Trackers to use Mobile Mapping Units equipped with side-scan sonar to locate and retrieve lost crab pots, and collect data.

Learn more about the Trap Trackers Program

Our removal event happens in the fall of every year in the Delaware Inland Bays watershed, however we are always looking for boaters who are willing to map the sea floor bottom at any time. There are multiple volunteer and boater roles that are needed.

To find out more details, please visit our Delaware Sea Grant website or reach out to us.