The Two Frontiers Project
Outreach & Community Science
We run long-term community science programs across marine, terrestrial, and built environments.
Some of the most scientifically interesting environments on Earth are also the most accessible — your home, your neighborhood park, your home aquarium. We run community science campaigns to collect samples from these environments — generating data at a scale no professional research team could achieve alone.
Extremophiles in Your Home
A citizen science program that turns the extreme microenvironments in your own home — hot water heaters, AC units, dishwashers, and other hot, cold, or wet-and-dry spots — into field sites. Participants collect microbial samples from these places, which we sequence in search of organisms with unusual, potentially useful characteristics. No science background required.
Learn more about Extremophiles in Your HomeExtremophiles in the Wild
An outdoor sampling program for interesting sites on private land — like marshes or hot springs on someone's property. Participants collect environmental samples using standardized protocols and GPS-tagged metadata, feeding data into our open environmental samplings network.
Learn more about Extremophiles in the WildProject ReefLink
A long-term coral reef monitoring and intervention program spanning multiple ocean regions. Community science participants assist with underwater transects, water sampling, and coral health documentation alongside professional research staff.
Learn more about ReefLinkResilient Soils
A citizen science program studying soils shaped by industrial activity, mining, and chemical contamination — including PFAS-impacted sites. Participants collect samples from these chemically influenced environments, helping us characterize how microbial life adapts under contamination and build a dataset that can inform future bioremediation.
Learn more about Resilient SoilsOutreach
We love to share what we’re doing with anyone and everyone. If you want us to stop by and present to your class, community group, or organization, get in touch.
Get in touch