Catch the King
Catch the King (CTK) is an annual tide mapping event that recruits volunteers to collect flooding data during the Perigean king tides—the highest tides of the year (view our flyer here!). Whether you’re a returning mapper or a community member looking to get involved in record-holding, crowdsourced flood data collection, view the information below to help prepare you for Catch the King 2025.
Fill out our interest survey to let us know how you’d like to be involved!
The Sea Level Rise app was developed in partnership with the Concursive Corporation, a Hampton Roads technology development company. Thank you!
How do I get ready to Catch the King?
1. Review the volunteer info sheet to learn more about participating in CTK.
2. Please fill out our CTK General Interest Survey to let us know how you’d like to be involved. Filling out this form is a necessary component of preparing for Catch the King!
3. Download and register for the Sea Level Rise app (clickable buttons below!).
4. Review the step-by-step information on our Catch the King Toolkit page to find instructions on where and when to map in your region and more helpful resources and tutorial guides!
5. Sign up for the CTK newsletter to receive event updates and training opportunities and join our Facebook group, Help Catch the King Tide!
6. Interested in being a Tide Captain? Check out our info sheet on being a tide captain and let us know you’re ready to lead a team by sending us an email.
7. Looking for other ways to engage? Visit our Catch the King Toolkit page and scroll to the Adopt-a-Sensor section towards the bottom for details.
2025 Tidal Flooding Calendar
Thanks to the efforts of 187 volunteers, Catch the King 2024 was a huge success! Community flood mappers from across coastal Virginia collected over 22,000 data points delineating the impacts of king tide flooding from October 17th-20th. Check out this composite data map from VIMS showcasing all of our data since 2017 or click the map below to explore 2024’s results.
CTK 2024 Results & Appreciation
2024 CTK Arts and Appreciation Event
In case you missed it, check out the recording below of our volunteer celebration and arts contest ceremony, held at the Brock Environmental Center on February 27th, 2025.
Catch the King: Background
Catch the King is an annual community science initiative that mobilizes volunteers to map the extent of tidal flooding during perigean spring tides, also known as "king tides." These tides represent the highest astronomical tides of the year, occurring when the gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun align, and the Moon is at its closest approach to Earth (perigee).
Participants in the event use a mobile app that collects location-based data points along the water's edge at peak high tide.
This crowdsourced data collection effort contributes to high-resolution mapping of tidal inundation areas, providing valuable empirical data for hydrodynamic modeling and flood forecasting.
Data Collection
"Catch the King" contributes to enhancing the accuracy of predictive models for coastal flooding, specially those developed by Dr. Derek Loftis at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. By incorporating the data collected by volunteers, researchers can improve the calibration and validation of models that simulate tidal dynamics and sea-level rise impacts. This approach addresses limitations in traditional data collection methods, which often lack the resolution needed for localized flood prediction and risk assessment.
Community Engagement
The Catch the King event exemplifies the integration of community engagement and scientific research, within the framework of participatory science. It serves not only as a data-gathering exercise, but also as an educational platform that raises public awareness about the impacts of climate change, sea-level rise, and coastal resilience. Engaging citizens directly in the scientific process fosters a sense of stewardship and empowers communities to contribute to environmental monitoring and policy development.
Guinness World Record
Catch the King is the Guinness World Record holder for Most Contributions to an Environmental Survey.
Catch the King represents a multifaceted effort, with many important partners, that advances scientific understanding of coastal processes. This event promotes proactive community involvement in addressing environmental challenges associated with sea-level rise and recurrent flooding.