Citizen science
0 of 4 hands-on
01 Introduction
Scientists cannot be everywhere, and divers are already in the water. Millions of dives take place every year, and with a little structure, what divers see can become real evidence. This lesson explains how, and how to do it well and safely.
Objectives
- Explain how divers can contribute useful data to science and conservation
- Describe what makes citizen science data reliable
- Describe how to take part safely without letting the task distract from the dive
02 Watch
Dive with a purpose
4 min · Video in production
- 1
A diver with a slate recording fish counts along a short, measured line.
- 2
A photographer taking an identification picture of a whale shark's markings, and the image being uploaded.
- 3
A volunteer team on a boat comparing notes after a survey dive, with a laptop and a map.
- 4
A graph of fish numbers rising over several years, with a reef in the background.
03 Learn
Why divers' observations matter
Monitoring the sea is expensive and difficult. Dive communities cover many sites regularly and over long periods, and many have been taking photographs and logging dives for years. With a method that everyone follows, these observations can show whether fish are returning, corals are recovering or a new species has arrived.
What divers can contribute
| Activity | Examples | What it tells scientists |
|---|---|---|
| Fish and invertebrate surveys | Counting set species along a measured line or for a set time | Changes in abundance and variety |
| Reef health checks | Recording coral cover, bleaching and disease | How reefs respond to heat and pressure |
| Photo identification | Photographing the markings on whale sharks, mantas and turtles | Population size, movement and survival |
| Marine debris recording | Logging type, amount and place of litter | Sources and hotspots of pollution |
| Invasive species reports | Recording new or unusual species with a photograph, place and date | Early warning of invasions |
| Casual sightings | Reporting a rare animal with a clear photograph, place, depth and date | Where species occur |
Several well-established programmes, such as Reef Check, REEF and Manta Trust, run training and data collection, and general platforms such as iNaturalist accept records of any species. Programmes differ by region, so ask your local dive centre which ones operate near you.
What makes data useful
- A clear method that everyone uses in the same way, so that results can be compared.
- Training and practice, so that you identify species correctly.
- Accurate records: date, time, place, depth and what you did not see as well as what you did.
- Honesty about doubt. If you are not sure of an identification, say so.
- Sharing data with the programme that can use it, not only on social media.
Predict first
You see an unusual fish and are not sure what it is. What is the most useful thing to record?
Doing it safely
Cleaning up responsibly
Clean-up dives can be valuable and rewarding. They work best when they are organised, with a briefing, appropriate tools and a plan for disposal and recording. Look carefully before removing anything. Items that look like rubbish can be home to animals, and some old objects are protected wrecks or historical artefacts. Never pick up anything that could be hazardous, such as munitions, and report it.
Take a guess first
A volunteer team counts and logs every item they remove during a dive. If each of 20 divers removes about 8 items on one dive, how many items do they log in total?
04 Explore
Try it yourself
Put the steps of making a useful report in order.
Put the steps in order.
- 1Note date, place, depth and conditions
- 2Observe or photograph the animal or habitat
- 3Check the dive plan and safety first
- 4Send the record to the right programme or platform
- 5Add your confidence in the identification
05 Apply
Scenario
During a dive you spot a large ray you have never seen before. You are at 18 m, with about 100 bar left, and you want to take photographs from several angles. Your buddy signals that it is time to head up to the shallow part of the reef.
What is the best response?
06 Check
07 Summary
Key points
- Divers can contribute fish and reef surveys, photo identification, debris and invasive species records, and sightings.
- Useful data comes from a clear method, training, accurate details and honesty about doubt.
- Safety comes before any task, and a task is dropped if anything feels wrong.
- Clean-ups work best when organised, and nothing hazardous or historic should be moved.
Before you apply this in the water
- Have I been trained by a qualified instructor for this?
- Am I medically fit to dive?
- Do I have a buddy and a plan?
- Am I diving within my training and limits?
Answer every question in the Check section to mark this lesson complete.