A trip to the Oregon coast will yield the usual sights and sounds: fresh air, squawking gulls, the roar of the ocean. For some visitors, there will be an additional step: a request to take a short survey about Oregon's Marine Reserves.
Five reserves are set up in coastal waters, designed for both conservation and scientific research. And now through the end of the summer, Oregon State University is surveying coastal visitors about their knowledge of the reserves and their uses, along with questions about ocean acidification and climate change.
Lindsay Aylesworth is the Program Leader for the Marine Reserve program. Dr. Aylesworth spends some time talking about the survey project and how it can help manage the reserves.