Location: Global
Topics include: Seafood; Litter
We propose 3 themes:
1) Water at Home deals with the topic of domestic use of drinking water,
2) The Sea at the Table allows us to better understand your consumption of fish and sea products, and
3) SOS Plastic at Sea offers you an opportunity to reflect on the environmental impact of plastic material and waste.
Participation is simple and fun!
Location: Global
Topics include: Sharks
Take part in our community science project and help us gather vital information about global shark distribution. During the Great Shark Snapshot we want buddy pairs, dive centres, clubs and boats to join us and record as many shark, ray and skate sightings around the world as possible. We will come together, go diving, and record all the sharks that we see in a global Great Shark Snapshot event. Over time, each Snapshot will build a clearer picture for shark scientists and conservationists. A picture of species distribution around the world and population changes. 1/3 of sharks and rays are threatened from destructive fishing, climate change and habitat destruction. The data collected will help scientists put effective conservation plans in place to help species.
Location: Global
Topics include: Coral Reefs
The Great Reef Census is a groundbreaking citizen science effort to survey the Great Barrier Reef. Whether you’re on the Reef or on the other side of the world, you can be part of this important conservation initiative.
Location: Global
Topics include: Ocean Conditions
Climate change is threatening the phytoplankton that underpins the marine food chain. We must understand why before it's too late. Help collect essential data by taking part in this vital citizen science study.
Location: Global
Topics include: Seagrass
SeagrassSpotter seeks to expand the number of people studying seagrass from a handful of scientists to hundreds and potentially thousands of ‘citizen scientists.’ As part of efforts to build a sustainable monitoring network, and by leveraging the enthusiasm of everyone from fishers to SCUBA divers to people on vacations at the beach, we’ll create a more comprehensive picture of seagrass meadows around the globe. This in turn will inspire new scientific research and practical conservation measures that can help protect ocean habitats. Working together with citizen scientists all over the world, we’ll accomplish big things for seagrass and other vulnerable marine species, but only with your help. The SeagrassSpotter project has been created by Project Seagrass in association with Cardiff University and Swansea University.
Location: Global
Topics include: Coral Reefs
Reef Check is a non-profit organization leading citizen scientists to promote stewardship of sustainable reef communities worldwide. Reef Check’s Vision: Thriving reefs, cared for by communities sustained for generations to come.
Location: Global
Topics include: Litter
Right now, trillions of plastic-tipped cigarette butts are leeching toxic chemicals and microplastics into the environment. The result? Massive amounts of nicotine and other toxic chemicals get released. These toxic chemicals bio-accumulate in various plants and animals. Some of which we eat. An environmental emergency is at our fingertips. You can help us fix this by contributing to OpenLitterMap. Just take a photo, tag the litter, & upload it to our app.
Location: Global
Topics include: Skates & Rays; Manta Rays
Each manta has an individual fingerprint: the pattern of spots on its belly. Get an image or video of their “bellyprint” and we can match that pattern to mantas already in the database, or your manta might be completely new to the database. When you submit a manta identification photo, a local researcher receives a notification. This researcher will double check that the information you submitted is correct (so don’t worry if you are unsure about which species you saw!). Once a researcher is happy with all the data accompanying the identification photo, they will run the MantaMatcher algorithm. The algorithm is like facial recognition software for manta bellies.
Location: Global
Topics include: Seahorses
iSeahorse harnesses the power of community scientists — anyone, anywhere in the world who sees a seahorse in the wild — to improve our understanding of these animals and protect them from overfishing and other threats.
Location: Global
Topics include: Skates & Rays
If you have seen a manta ray anywhere in the world, you can contribute directly to the Manta Trust’s global research and conservation efforts.
Submit your images and some basic information about the sighting to our IDtheManta database, and we will provide feedback about the individual manta you encountered.
Location: global
Topics include: Whales
Submit your whale photos! Do you have images from previous sightings? Sending older images is a great way to get started with Happywhale.
Location: Global
Topics include: Sailing
The SeaKeepers DISCOVERY Yacht Program matches private vessel owners with scientists to support ocean research and education. By donating time aboard their vessels, owners enable vital marine work at no cost to the researchers.
Owners can join the activities, gain tax benefits, and be recognized through SeaKeepers. Participation ranges from brief deployments to multi-day expeditions. Since 2014, our DISCOVERY Fleet has supported hundreds of missions worldwide, advancing ocean conservation.
These are also smaller-scale research initiatives performed by DISCOVERY Fleet owners, crews, and their guests. They don’t require scientists to be aboard, but they still make important contributions to ongoing research projects all over the world.
Community participation like this is essential, and the variety of opportunities include instrument deployment, sample collection, and wildlife observations.
