Planet Ocean is supporting a citizen science initiative that gives Worthing’s sea swimmers a hands-on role in understanding local water quality.

Based at Splashpoint Leisure Centre, the new facility brings together Worthing Borough Council, Southern Water and South Downs Leisure. Southern Water funded the technical equipment, while South Downs Leisure provided the laboratory space.

Members of Muscle Beach Swimming Club, Worthing Bluetits and WorFolk are learning to analyse samples from the town’s designated bathing waters using Fluidion equipment.

This year-round sampling complements the Environment Agency’s seasonal monitoring. The aim is to build a fuller picture of coastal water quality across changing conditions and help investigate potential pollution sources.

Discussions with academic partners are exploring how the growing dataset could support wider research.

Source and photographs: Adur & Worthing Councils’ announcement of 26 October 2026.

For help choosing water quality monitoring equipment for your project, contact the Planet Ocean team.