Catch the King!

Catch the King

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!

Catch the King (CTK) is an annual tide mapping event that recruits volunteers to collect flooding data during the Perigean tides—the highest tides of the year (view our flier here!). Whether you’re a returning mapper or a citizen looking to get involved in award-winning, crowdsourced flood data collection, view the resources below to help prepare you for Catch the King 2024.

Check out this quick video of what it’s like to participate in Catch the King:

Interested in the arts? Wetlands Watch is hosting an arts contest through Catch the King this year, titled “Waves of Tomorrow: Artists Respond to Rising Seas”. Cash prizes for juror-reviewed “Best in Show” submissions will be awarded for high school and college categories, with a deadline for submissions on January 1st, 2025. Submissions may include visual work (sculpture, photography, drawing, painting, etc.) and written work (poems and short stories). Please scan the QR code to access the submission portal, or click here: https://www.jotform.com/form/242424221492146

Please reach out to josie.shostak@wetlandswatch.org for more information on submitting your artistic piece.

How do I get ready to Catch the King?

  1. Review the volunteer info sheet to learn more about participating in CTK.

  2. Register for this year’s Catch the King event (closed for 2024).

  3. Download the Sea Level Rise app using the Apple Store/ Google Play buttons to the right.

  4. Follow the tutorial guides (photo|written) to sign up for official CTK regions & events.

    You can also watch the recording of our event info webinar (held Oct 10th, 2023) here, and view the presentations slides (with lots of great links and resources) here.

  5. Review the step-by-step information on our App FAQs page to find instructions on where and when to map in your region and more helpful resources and tutorial guides!

  6. Sign up for the CTK newsletter for event updates and training opportunities and join our Facebook group, Help Catch the King Tide!

  7. 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.

  8. Looking for information on the HRPDC Adopt-a-Sensor program? Visit our App FAQs page and scroll to the Adopt-a-Sensor section towards the bottom for details.

Catch the King 2024 Results

2024 Tide Flooding Calendar

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.