The Rapid Shoreline Inventory gathers physical and biological information about shoreline and nearshore habitats on contiguous 150-foot segments of beach. Volunteers and staff hit the beach during extreme low-tide windows in order to gather information about eelgrass, invertebrates, and substrates that are not otherwise visible. The Rapid Shoreline Inventory provides the only data set that looks at both adjacent land use and the health of the beach. All RSI data is public, and accessible. Volunteers go through a rigorous ten hours of training before they are qualified to gather data.
Staff manage volunteers as they gather data on the beach, and check the quality of the data on-site.
The Rapid Shoreline Inventory can be used to identify beaches that may be good candidates for shoreline preservation or restoration actions. Beaches in Puget Sound and the Northwest Straits could also qualify for state and federal funds for voluntary habitat restoration projects. Volunteers agree to attend two evening and one weekend training sessions. There are usually two or more opportunities each year to gather data somewhere in Puget Sound. Data collection days involve three or four hours on the beach, and involve lots of walking and standing.