 Well, there's a certain sort of MacGyver-ish quality to it. While there's a process and you have to do it in a certain way, anyone could do it. You don't have to be a trained scientist. They're among dozens of volunteers helping scientists understand how much septic systems and lawn fertilizers are polluting Buzzards Bay with nitrogen. Excess nitrogen can cause toxic algae blooms and dangerously low oxygen levels that make it nearly impossible for marine life to survive.