LiMPETS

LiMPETS Community Science

LiMPETS (Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students) is an environmental monitoring and education program for students, educators, and volunteer groups. The LiMPETS network provides authentic, hands-on coastal monitoring experiences that empower teachers, students and the community to conduct real science and serve as ocean stewards. 

The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History provides this program free of charge for Monterey County students.

Learn more about LiMPETS

LiMPETS Programs

Through LiMPETS field study programs, students gain hands-on scientific research and data collection skills, gain experience using tools and methods employed by field scientists, and learn to analyze data. By collecting this data in the field at beaches and tidepools, students grow a sense of agency and connection to place, which in turn nurtures their ability to be positive advocates for and stewards of their local ecosystems and communities.

The next Sandy Beach Monitoring teacher training workshop is on Saturday, September 12, 2026.

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The next Rocky Intertidal Monitoring teacher training workshop is on Saturday, January 23, 2027.

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  • Students survey 26 key invertebrate and algae species at specific LiMPETS monitoring sites along the coast.

  • Students survey the distribution and abundance of the Pacific mole crab (Emerita analoga) at monitoring sites along the coast of California.

    1. Teacher training workshop -  this is required to participate in LiMPETS programs.

      1. Sandy Beach Monitoring (open to 6th grade and above) workshop - September

      2. Rocky Intertidal Monitoring (open to 9th grade and above) workshop - January 

    2. Student pre-trip evaluation survey - before any training

      1. Surveys are required; important for LiMPETS to evaluate effectiveness & impact of our programs, and for grant funding.

    3. Student training - approx. 1.5 hours (2 class periods) - led by LiMPETS staff for new teachers, led by teachers for those with experience with LiMPETS

      1. (optional) Student readiness quiz (to reinforce training) 

    4. Field trip!

    5. Data entry back in the classroom - students input their field data into the LiMPETS database.

    6. Student post-trip evaluation survey

    7. (optional) Research poster or Community Action Project based on their field science experience

      1. More details here

    8. Teacher survey

Book a LiMPETS Field Trip

Monterey Peninsula College Collaboration

We are grateful for an incredible partnership with MPC and the impact we are making on the next generation of marine scientists.

Thank you to our agency sponsors and individual donors for their generous support!