Citizen Science

The Foundation recognizes that divers and communities associated with or concerned about our oceans have a role to play. Beyond making sustainable choices everyday (refuse, reduce, re-use single use plastics, for example), there are many opportunities to contribute to the science and practice of marine conservation. Below is a list of such opportunities associated with our projects and goals:

Use underwater lasers to measure sharks & rays, Costa Rica:
You can measure sharks and rays with lasers as a citizen science diver with our colleagues at ConnectOcean in Costa Rica! They take divers out specifically to measure sharks and rays and add your collected data to a global online database and to the marine life census of the Las Catalinas area. Learn more at: https://www.oceanfirstinstitute.org/what-we-do/global-database/

Roving marine species surveys with M/V Oceans for Youth, Cuba:
Aboard this working research and conservation vessel, snorkelers/divers and school groups can help scientists working in the Gardens of the Queen National Park collect information, daily, on the location and relative abundance of select species. The data is used to inform management decisions that help protect the pristine seagrass, mangrove and coral habitats in the park. More information, here: https://www.oceansforyouth.org/mv-ofy-overview.php

Maintain Critical Coral Nurseries, Cayman Islands:
While visiting in the Cayman Islands, divers can learn about and help inspect endangered corals that growing in several coral nurseries for signs of disease and assist in cleaning/maintenance. Here is a list of dive operators growing coral in the Cayman Islands: Sunset House, Ocean Frontiers, Cayman Eco Divers, and Divetech.

Wanted! Whales of NYC:
Boaters, kayakers, fishermen, and photographers can easily report sightings of marine mammals in the waters around NYC to our partners at Gotham Whale, here: https://gothamwhale.org/citizen-science/