diff --git a/src/sharedHelpers/observationsSort.ts b/src/sharedHelpers/observationsSort.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f793bbfaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sharedHelpers/observationsSort.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import type { ObservationSortAPIParams } from "types/sorting";
+import { OBSERVATIONS_SORT } from "types/sorting";
+
+const SORT_TO_API_PARAMS: Record<OBSERVATIONS_SORT, ObservationSortAPIParams> = {
+  [OBSERVATIONS_SORT.DATE_UPLOADED_NEWEST]: { order_by: "created_at", order: "desc" },
+  [OBSERVATIONS_SORT.DATE_UPLOADED_OLDEST]: { order_by: "created_at", order: "asc" },
+  [OBSERVATIONS_SORT.DATE_OBSERVED_NEWEST]: { order_by: "observed_on", order: "desc" },
+  [OBSERVATIONS_SORT.DATE_OBSERVED_OLDEST]: { order_by: "observed_on", order: "asc" },
+  [OBSERVATIONS_SORT.MOST_FAVED]: { order_by: "votes", order: "desc" },
+};
+
+export const EXPLORE_OBSERVATIONS_SORT_OPTIONS: OBSERVATIONS_SORT[] = [
+  OBSERVATIONS_SORT.DATE_UPLOADED_NEWEST,
+  OBSERVATIONS_SORT.DATE_UPLOADED_OLDEST,
+  OBSERVATIONS_SORT.DATE_OBSERVED_NEWEST,
+  OBSERVATIONS_SORT.DATE_OBSERVED_OLDEST,
+  OBSERVATIONS_SORT.MOST_FAVED,
+];
+
+export const MY_OBSERVATIONS_SORT_OPTIONS: OBSERVATIONS_SORT[] = [
+  OBSERVATIONS_SORT.DATE_UPLOADED_NEWEST,
+  OBSERVATIONS_SORT.DATE_UPLOADED_OLDEST,
+  OBSERVATIONS_SORT.DATE_OBSERVED_NEWEST,
+  OBSERVATIONS_SORT.DATE_OBSERVED_OLDEST,
+];
+
+export function sortToApiParams( sort: OBSERVATIONS_SORT ): ObservationSortAPIParams {
+  return SORT_TO_API_PARAMS[sort];
+}
diff --git a/src/types/sorting.ts b/src/types/sorting.ts
index fa94556d7..37e52c4d0 100644
--- a/src/types/sorting.ts
+++ b/src/types/sorting.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@ import type { RealmTaxon } from "realmModels/types";
 export type SortItemType = "observations" | "taxa";
 
 export type SortDirection = "asc" | "desc";
+export type ObservationOrderBy = "created_at" | "observed_on" | "votes";
+
+export interface ObservationSortAPIParams {
+  order_by: ObservationOrderBy;
+  order: SortDirection;
+}
 
 export enum OBSERVATIONS_SORT {
   DATE_UPLOADED_NEWEST = "DATE_UPLOADED_NEWEST",
@@ -15,13 +21,6 @@ export enum OBSERVATIONS_SORT {
 // eventually this will be a union type that accounts for different types of sorting, i.e. name
 export type SpeciesSortBy = "count"
 
-export interface ObservationSort {
-  by:
-    | "created_at"
-    | "observed_on";
-  direction?: SortDirection;
-}
-
 export interface SpeciesSort {
   by: SpeciesSortBy;
   direction?: SortDirection;