No, Nitzya isn’t taking selfies at Baby Beach in Dana Point, or even finding that perfect Instagram filter. She’s actually helping the environment.

She and her kids are enjoying the high tide which is so high right now, it’s what is known as a king tide.

It happens twice a year when the sun, moon, and earth all align to create even more pull on the ocean. King tides also offer us a glimpse at what the average tide will probably look like in the future.

Nitzya and her kids came to the Ocean Institute in Dana Point for an informational walk and ended up serving as citizen scientists.

“I’ve never heard about that particular project that they were doing, so I looked it up online when he was talking about it, and it is very cool. And that way we can learn some more and see what we can do to help out as well,” said Nitzya.

She was recruited today, but any citizen can be part of the king tide project. Participants must merely fill out a form that details the conditions the photos were taken in. They’re then uploaded for scientists to compare.

And places like the Dana Point Harbor are perfect backdrops, because they have things like piers that don’t move, allowing scientists to observe how sea levels change.

Today these are the highest tides of the year. But at the rate tides are rising, in the coming years things like the piers and infrastructure that scientists use as measuring sticks, could very well be under water, along with many of of SoCal’s beaches.

“People might not understand the effects right now, but in 2050 the effects on the coast will be pretty dramatic. And as most people live next to the coast, you’ll find out that their daily lives become inhibited,” said Andrew Dandy, a Community Outreach Specialist at the Ocean Institute.

Posting these pictures might get you a lot of likes, but more importantly, it could also help to ensure that in years to come, the landscape remains in the picture.