The word data doesn’t exactly spark excitement for most people. But, mention a database packed with raw data, ready for analysis, to a scientist and watch as their eyes light up. To them data isn’t just numbers, it is a story waiting to be told. The issue is that data is often time consuming and expensive to obtain. Here is where the genius of citizen science comes into play.
What is citizen science?
Citizen science gives you the opportunity to help gather, analyze or report invaluable scientific information. If you are part of the Snorkel Venture community odds are you are a big fan of spending time out in nature. Many of our guests are often extremely well travelled and are lucky enough to have spent time with some of the rarest of species, in remote environments. For a research team to fund and organize a trip to such places, to study such species often takes years of fund raising and planning. Citizen science allows us to skip this step. Handing over data from you, the public, straight to the people that need it most.
A magnificent example of citizen science in action is a method used by one of Snorkel Venture’s charity partners, Manta Trust. Manta Trust is a charity that researches, advocates for and protects manta and devil rays world wide. Manta and devil rays (known as Mobulid rays) are widely dispersed and species like the oceanic manta are known to travel hundreds of miles across open ocean. Therefore obtaining information regarding the movement patterns of these rays can be tricky. This is where we need your help.
If you have ever been lucky enough to spend time with Mobulids in the wild you may have noticed their spotty underbellies as they barrel roll through the water. This spot pattern is a unique identifier for each individual ray, just like a human fingerprint, and can be used to recognize that exact ray throughout its lifetime.
Next time you find yourself in the water with a ray and this article comes to mind, if your photo skills are up to it, try snapping a shot of the rays ventral surface (underside). The most crucial area for a usable identification photo is the belly, which includes the ray’s spot pattern. Additionally, capturing the area toward the tail is helpful for determining the ray’s sex. Scars are also valuable indicators for individual ID.
Once you return home from your holiday and flick through your images you can pop onto the Mantabase site, where you can upload your photograph. If you are the very first to have ever uploaded a photo of that ray you even get the honor of naming him or her. There are now more than 100,000 uploads to Mantabase and through this initiative Manta Trust has used your data to create marine protected areas, publish research and influence policy that protects these vulnerable species.
Imagine you are on tour with Snorkel Venture and you have a life changing encounter with a whale shark. You know that whale sharks face threats in the area, and you would like to donate towards their protection. Ocean Eye is a simple platform whereby tourists can log their sightings while on tour alongside making micro donations for each sighting. These donations go directly to local conservation projects. By logging your encounter, your snorkeling experience just became truly life changing!
Over time the money raised through marine animal sightings accumulates and shows locals that a live animal has much greater value than one lying dead in a fish market. Ocean eye supports projects that work with communities to create financial opportunities, alternative livelihoods and incentives, giving power, knowledge and a path to action back to the local people. They create projects that are not just short term fixes but systemic long term solutions. Additionally, the data gathered through the platform is extremely valuable, as it is used by scientists and local authority to improve marine management.
Waste management is a big issue on remote islands and can be fatal for marine life. Tourist donations for wildlife sightings have funded a plastic pick up system in remote Banda island villages. Ensuring less waste enters the ocean, protecting wildlife from entanglement and ingesting marine debris.
It is no secret that coral reefs worldwide are suffering in the face of rising ocean temperatures and ocean acidification. As snorkelers however, we know, there is still plenty of bustling, healthy reef out there for us to advocate for. Luckily, there is currently an army of coral fans (pun intended) conjuring up innovative solutions that help give coral a fighting chance.
Coral reefs can be massive. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is approximately the size of Japan. This poses a problem to scientists trying to grasp an understanding of current coral health over such vast areas. There are not enough coral scientists in the world to survey such large areas, however there are enough snorkelers! We as snorkelers have access to remote parts of the reef and thousands of tourists snorkel coral reefs every day. So how can you help make a difference? Train yourself to conduct coral surveys. I know it sounds intimidating but I promise it’s simple.
Coral watch is a citizen science program that provides snorkelers with an easy to do coral survey, anywhere in the world. The survey is simple and doesn’t take long. You can start your snorkel with a survey and still have plenty of time left to float about. So, before you hop in for your next snorkel, visit the Coral Watch website for instructions on how to gather and enter your data and to register for your free Coral Health Chart to take along on all your snorkeling ventures.
Corals have been around for 500 million years, yet our understanding of their resilience to heat stress is a constantly evolving field of knowledge, with new vital information surfacing every day. Each data point collected is a piece of the puzzle that helps scientists protect this vital ecosystem.
Daily headlines regarding climate news can often leave us feeling a little helpless and deflated. Citizen science is a great way to be a part of the solution. These are just a few examples of citizen science in action, however, there are countless other ways we can get involved. Take the first step by researching citizen science projects in areas you plan to visit or even in your own back yard.
Snorkel Venture aims to increase our citizen science output by providing purpose run tours that integrate both snorkeling and science. Kicking off with our 2027 Maldives Manta research expedition.
